Photograph of the schooner, Concord, that left for the Klondike in 1897.
Between the years 1896 and 1899 an estimated 100,000 prospectors headed to Alaska following a gold discovery there. Some Portsmouth New Hampshire men were part of that stampede of prospectors hoping to return home wealthy. Only an estimated 4,000 of all the prospectors struck gold, so most were disappointed.
A group of adventurous men from Portsmouth formed the Portsmouth Yukon Mining Company, each paying $200 to become a member. The group was divided into two parts–one would travel by ship to the west coast of the United States, while a second would travel by train. Reportedly when the two met in San Francisco, they would continue up to the gold fields together. But it appears from the newspaper reports that much went awry. Continue reading
