Newspapers of Old
The establishment of a newspaper in each booming gold camp usually followed
close on the heels of the mapping of a townsite, the appointment of a
district recorder and U.S. marshal, and the application for a post office.
It wasn't long before a man arrived with a case of type, a pot of ink
and a battered hand press. More than 50 newspapers were founded during
the first ten years of the Gold Rush in the Yukon River Valley. Many lasted
only a few issues. In Iditarod in 1910, for example, three newspapers
began publication that summer. Only one survived beyond the first year.
Judging from the numbers, starting a newspaper would seem to be an easy
task, but in order to print, it was necessary to have paper, ink, adequate
type and a heavy press. Transportation by dog team or flimsy boats made
this a formidable undertaking. The miners were hungry for news. News from
outside was the most coveted; a single newspaper from San Francisco, Portland
or Seattle passed through many hands and public readings brought large
crowds. Even local news was popular, Judge Wickersham helped finance his
1903 climb of Mt.McKinley by publishing one issue of a newspaper in Fairbanks.
He produced only seven copies on a typewriter using any decent piece of
paper he could find. These sold for $5 each. He also sold 36 ads at $5
each, and arranged to have the papers read to audiences who willingly
paid $1 admission to hear news about gold discoveries they were already
aware of. J.F.A. Strong, founder of the "Juneau Empire" and the "Nome
Nugget," also published papers in Skagway, Dawson City, Katalla, and Iditarod.
He angered poiliticians wherever he went, and eventually became one himself,
serving as Governor of Alaska from 1913 to 1918.
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Used with
permission.
Gold Rush Centennial Task Force, State of Alaska.
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