T‘
The Pacific - Yukon - Alaska Highway
’’The Golden Twilight Trail”
Since the bttilding of the ■Panama
Canal, no project presented to the
people of North America has attract
ed wider attention that) the proposed
Pacific-Yukon-Alaska international
highway.
This interest is due not alone to
ihe fact that this 2000 mile highway
would be one of the greatest single
road construction proposals ever un
dertaken, or that it would be of in
ternational character. Rather it is
due to, the assurance that at the
end of its mighty course would lie
Alaska—“The Land of the Midnight
Sun;” alluring land of gold; land of
mighty spaces and scenic marvels.
Since the great highway proposal
was first broached evidences have
multiplied that Alaska is the attract
ion behind the widespread interest
attaching to this great project.
Cio east, go west; everyone who pos
sesses a desire to travel is desirous
of visiting Alaska. Its vast golden
riches; its titanic glaciers,, far
winding rivers and sky-piercing
peaks; its furs and ivory: and its
never setting summer sun, have been
a mighty lure to unnumbered thous
ands. As the magnet draws the steel
bar, so to Alaska is drawn the im
agination of all who have come to
know of the great Northern Terri
tory and its diversified wonders.
With the whole modern world go
ing on wheels, only an avenue ot
travel is needed to bring to realiz
ation the dream of so many people of
one day visiting and seeing for them
selves this marvelous and historic
frontier land.
With the opening of such a high
way—revealing not alone the wond
ers of Alaska, but also the splendid
scenic beauties of British Columbia
and Yukon Territory—would come an
nually from east and west and south
to this mysterious and alluring North
land a mighty caravan of motorists,
following the "Golden Twilight Trail.”
Northward from Seattle and Van
couver, the journeying host of sight
seers would wind their way over the
famous old Cariboo Trail, along the
impressive Frazer River Canyon anil
by beautiful, trout-filled lakes and
streams, to Prince George, passing
numerous smaller places enroute.
Then onward through a land filled
with mountain and sylvan beauties
to Hazelton. historic landmark in the
winning of Canada's Great West. At
Hazelton the motorist would complete
the first 1,000 miles of the 2,00o
miles of distance stretching between
Seattle and Fairbanks. From this
point the route of the great highway
will follow approximately the line of
the old Telegraph Trail, pathway of
those pioneers of the late '60's who
sought to build a telegraph line across
America to Asia and Europe by way
of Alaska.
Still farther northward the motor
ist would enter the famed Cassinr
mining district, discovered by the
miners of '49 in their northward
trek from the crowded California
gold fields, and from which they ex- '
traded vast golden fortunes before i
Seattle or Vancouver had attained i
the dignity of towns. 1
"Beyond thetCassiar and some 1350 (
■miles from Seattle lies the beautiful t
Atlin Lake district. This is a land of i
sublime panoramas and inspiring vis- i
tas which no artist has yet been able
to successfully depict. From beneath 1
its verdant dune-lands too. have come 1
great stores of yellow gold to enrich i
the world of men. I
Some hundred miles beyond this I
land of beauty lies Lake Bennett, at I
the head of the mighty Yukon, where
the Golden Twilight Trail will link '
with the romantic trail of ’98, over :
which vast hordes of gold-seekers I
traveled in the now distant days of t
the Klondike gold stampede. t
Following in the footsteps of the i
frail. Here (lie motorist may still
ee many of the historic land marks
round which such writers as London,
lervlss and others wove their tales
f the gold rush days. Here, too, the
raveler will cross the great Yukon,
nightiest river of the North, on its
,000 mile journey to Bering Sea.
Beyond Dawson lies historic Forty
nile, on the Yukon, one of the Nortli
ands oldest landmarks. A short dlst
nce west of Forty-mile runs the In
ernational Boundary and here the
raveler will at last enter the real
innd of the Midnight Sun,— Alaska.
From this point the Golden Twilight
’rail will proceed through an ever
nteresting country to the Tanana
liver anil thence to the Northland’s
reatest and most widely known arl
ry of travel, the Richardson Iligh
>ay, extending from the very heart
ward to beautiful Prince William
Sound, with its myriads of charming
hays and isles, while the Steese High
way, second greatest of Alaska’s
splendid highways, will invite a jour
ney of 160 miles to Circle City on the
Yukon and in the very shadow of the
Arctic Circle; where in midsummer
one may see the sun every moment
of the day.
Of the 2,000 odd miles of main
highway reaching from Seattle to
Fairbanks, some 1,200 miles are al
ready constructed, hence scarcely
more than 1,000 miles of now high
way construction would he necessary
to give autoists of the United States
and Canada free access to Alaska.
That this great highway project is
both feasible and practical is the
opinion of all who have carefully ex
amined the available data regarding
ions British Columbian organizations,
the Yukon Territory, Premier Tolmie
of British Columbia and numerous
automobile and Good Roads clubs and
associations in both the United States
and Canada. In addition both the
American and Canadian governments
have appointed commissions to col
laborate in an investigation of the
feasibility of the great project.
Furthermore a preliminary location
survey some 500 miles in length has
been made by airplanes and ground
survey crews at the instance of Pre
mier Tolmie of British Columbia, to
whom is due a very large measure
of credit for the remarkable progress
so far achieved in the development
of this great undertaking.
In addition to providing a new
and highly attractive travel route for
more than one hundred and twenty
mmmsmgmsJSBmBBsam
SCENE ON
THE
GOLDEN
TWILIGHT
TRAIL
Argonauts of '98, the motor tourist
will pass by historic Lake LeBarge
to Whitehorse, at the foot of White
horse Raphls, whose treacherous cur
rents swallowed up the lives of many
gold seekers enroute to the Klondike
fields.
Following still farther the old gold
trail. Dawson, on the Klondike, famed
Mecca of that vast army of gold seek
ers who braved the Chilkoot heights,
next appears on the Golden Twilight
of Alaska to the shores of the Pacific'
| at Valdez.
After reaching the Richardson
Highway the traveler would be some
70 miles from Fairbanks, ‘‘The Gold
en Heart of Alaska." Arriving there
the 2000 mile journey from the Pa
cific Coast would be completed.
But not even here would one reach
the real end of the Golden Twilight
Trail, for the 326 mile Richardson
Highway will beckon a journey south
the country to bo traversed. Practical
ly every foot of the proposed route
lias been followed for years by pros- i
pectors, miners, trappers and voyag
eurs and a major portion would lie
along already well beaten trails.
*
The proposal to construct this great j
highroad lias been formally approved j
by the Territory of Alaska and has
received tile endorsement of every I
Chamber oi commerce in Alaska, the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce, var
million people of the United States,
the building of the international
highway would bring to British Col
umbia, the Yukon Territory and Alas
ka an influence toward their de
velopment and prosperity, the value
of which is beyond all computation.
As this article is written word
comes front Victoria, B. C., that final
determination of the question of the
feasibility of the international high
way project is in progress in that
city, where the special commissioners
for the United States, Major Malcolm
Elliott, president of the Alaska Road
Commission, Ernest Walker Sawyer,
personal representative of the Secre
tary of the Interior, and Herbert H.
Rice, assistant to the president of
General Motors Corporation, are hold
ing their first formal conference with
the Canadian commissioners, Hon.
George Black, Member of Parliment
for Yukon Territory, Chairman; J. Ml
Wardle, Chief Engineer, Parks
Branch, Banff, B. C., Representing
Federal Government; George P. Na
pier, Assistant Chief Engineer, Public
Works Department, Victoria, B. C.,
representing Province of British Col
umbia.
As outlined recently by Mr. Ernest
Walker Sawyer of the U. S. commis
sion, three major steps have been
taken so far toward the consum
mation of the great project, as fol
lows :
1, The Paciflc-Yukon Highway
idea has been crystalized.
2, The forces have been gathered
and a law passed, the United States
Congress giving the project internat
ional recognition.
3, The preliminary survey of 500 *
miles of a proposed location is an
accomplished fact.
Continuing, Mr. Sawyer said that
the next step is to complete surveys
and study the economic feasibility of
various routes.
The important point in the fore
ground now is how will the construct
ion be financed. It is too early to
state what financial plans will be
agreed upon or outlined or proposed,
but whether it be a special bond is
sue or a concession, will no doubt
await complete estimates of the cost
and routes. Both toll gates, gas taxes
and other systems have been sug
gested and will no doubt be given
careful consideration.
Concluding his statement Mr. Saw
yer said:
“It is my belief that the road is
warranted by the country it passes
through. Tlie rich Cassiar and Stik
ine are alone sufficient to justify the
construction, as undoubtedy those
sections are the most heavily min
iralized of any sections of British
Columbia, while the beauties of At
lin are known throughout the world.
“The Yukon, on the other hand, has
not only mineral resources and scen
ery of its own particular brand, but
it has the lure of Dawson, White
horse. Klondike, the mighty Yukon
and the days of ’9S.
“Fairbanks, the goal of the road, is
the heart of that great Territory,
Alaska, the Land of the Midnight
Sun. Its attractions, especially to
American tourists, are unlimited and
its opportunities in lode mining and
other pursuits are staggering. One
cannot forget Fairbanks.
“ I hope and expect to see this
road, the Pacific Yukon ' Highway,
passable from Seattle to Fairbanks
within five years.”
i
Alaska Legislature Thanks B. C. Officials For
Support of Big Highhway Project
s
The splendid interest and cooper
ation Riven by Premier Tolmie ant
the leaders of both Liberal and Con
servative parties of British Columbk
in the development of the Pacific
Yukon-Alaska Highway project drew
from the 1931-Alaska Legislature tin
following resolution of appreciation
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. I
WHEREAS. The construction of tin
projected Yukon Highway is at thi
present time is one of the greates
economic needs of Alaska; and
WHEREAS, The Lieutenant Govern
or and Premier and the other mem
bers of the Government of the Prov
ince of British Columbia, Dominion o
Canada, have exerted every prac
ticable effort to have said highwa;
constructed at the earliest possible
date; and
WHEREAS, The building of sait
highway will be of tremendous mu
tual advantage to both the territor;
of Alaska and to the Province o
British Columbia arising not onl;
from improved facilities of trade bu
from the increase in development o
♦ ******»»'
* HOMESTEAD LAWS
*********>
Some of the conditions under whicl
a homestead may be acquired ii
Alaska are briefly as fallows:
Land must be agricultural in chat
acter. Only citizens of the Unitei
States or those who have declarei
their intention to become citizen
can make entry. Residence must b
established withing six months afte
taking up a homestead and must con
tinue for seven months out of eacl
year for three years.
One-sixteenth of the area of th
homestead must be cultivated withii
the first two years and one-eight!
before the end of the third year, i
habitable house must be erected oi
the land. Final proof must be sut
mitted within five years after th
date of entry.
When the homesteader makes a;
plication, he piust pay an entry fe
the general feeling of gootl will which
has long animated both the residents j
of the United States and I lie Territory
of Alaska and the residents of the 1
Dominion of Canada; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the legislature of
| Alaska deeply appreciates the splen
i did and continued effort which has j
i been and now is being made by the
’ I Lieutenant Governor, the Premier and
, other members of the Government of
, the Province of British Columbia, for
the early construction of said high
J way; and be it further
1
RESOLVED, That the Legislature
of Alaska extend its thanks to the
Lieutenant Governor and the Premier
1 and other members of the Govern
ment of British Columbia, for the
work which they have done and are
1 now doing to insure the early con
summation of this project; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this
■ resolution be forwarded to the Lieut
• cnant Governor and to the Premier
• of British Columbia.
Passed the Senate, April 17, 1931.
Passed the House, April 24, 1931.
' of $10 and a commission of $0.0379
: , per acre. When he makes final proof
; lie must pay a testimony fee of $1.80,
a commission fee per acre as above
1 and pay for an advertising notice of
i tinal proof of from $12 to $15.
There are no taxes in Alaska on
land or property outside of incorpor
‘ ated cities. Adult male settlers, be
tween the ages of twenty-one and
1 fifty years, are required to pay a
J school tax of $5 per annum only. The
‘ funds of the Territory are raised
entirely through licenses on fisheries,
fish plants, mining lumbering, etc.
•-o
, The total area of Alaska is 590,
f 884 square miles, being approximately
one-fifth the size of continental Unit
l ed States.
At the close of 1930 there were
i- 13 territorial banks and 4 national
3 banks doing business In Alaska.
t-7-1
| Alaska Mountain Peaks i
Alaska has 37 mountain peaks over
10,000 feet high, in addition to mighty
Mount McKinley, one of the loftiest
peaks in the world. Right of the
number are of more than 15,000 feet
elevation and three are volcanoes.
There are also a half dozen active
volcanoes below 10,000 feet in height.
Following is a lifct of the major
peaks:
PEAK— Feet above sea
A Ivors tone . 14,500
Anderson . 10,770
Augusta . 14,070
Bear . 14,850
Bertha . 10,182
Big Mountain .. 10,993
Blackburn . 10,140
Bona . 16,420
Castle Peak . 10,514
Cook . 13,760
Crillon . 12,727
Deborah . 12,540
Drum . 12,002
Fairvveather . 15,300
Florence . 11,610
Foraker . 17,000
George . 10,000
Goode . 10,600
Hayden Peak . 11,920
Hayes . 13,740
Hess . 12,030
Hubbard . 14,950
The Hump . 12,900
Hunter . 14,960
Huxley . 12,560
Iliamna . 10,020
Jarvis . 12,230
Kates Needle . 10,002
*Katmal . 7.000
I .a Perouse . 10,750
Lituya . 11,750
Bodge . 10,530
Logan (Can.) . 19,850
McKinley . 20,300
Natazhat . 13,440
‘Quincy Adams . 15,560
Regal . 13,400
‘Redoubt . 10,200
Higgs . 11,783
Root . 12,860
Russel . 11,600
Sanford . 16,206
Marcus Baker . 13,250
St. Rlias . 18.008
Seattle . 10,070
•Spurr . 11,050
Sulzer .„.. 10,920
Tittmann . 11,000
Vancouver . 15,700
Watson . 12.495
♦Wrangell . 14,005
Zanettl . 12,980
•Volcano.
• Two hundred and thirty-six teach
ers instruct 4,828 pupils in Alaska
schools, at a per capita cost of $136.
69.
! Fauna of Alaska !
! * !
The faunal life of Alaska Is var
ied and interesting. There are four
major faunal regions, comprising the
sountheastern coast, interior Alaska,
the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian
j Islands and the Arctic slope. Fewer
species of animals are found in the
interior. Among the characteristic
mammals of this section are Moose,
j c aribou, red fox, lynx, black bear.
: wolverine, marten, mink, weasel,
muskrat, beaver, hare and squirrels,
i Many species of ducks, geese and
other water fowl breed in the lakes
\ during the summer season. Spruce
grouse and other varieties of the
I grouse family are common in the
j valleys and ptarmigan are numerous
; on the higher elevations. Canada
jays, hawks, ravens and smaller birds
also occur. Fish are abundant in the
streams. Salmon run for hundreds of
miles up the rivers and form an im
portant source of food supply, hakes
abound and forestation is fairly
heavy.
The southeastern coastal region dif
fers widely from interior Alaska.
Deer are numerous in this region. A
great many varieties of brown, black
and grizzly bears occur, some of the
latter being very large. Big horn
sheep are abundant in the high mount
ains. Wolves and coyotes also exist
in certain sections. Whistling marmot
related to the eastern wood chuck,
are numerous. Bird life includes most
of the land game birds of Puget Sound
and British Columbia, in addition to
many shore birds. Bald eagles are
numerous. Salmon run in the streams
in myriads and many kinds of marine
fish are found along the coasts. This
is a region of high mountains, mild
climate, and is dens'ly forested.
1 The Alaska Peninsula is in sharp
contrast to the southeastern coast.
There are no forests and the land
scape is generally bleak and bare.
Several species of brown and grizzly
bear, hares and smaller, animals oc
cur, but the most abundant animals
are the marine forms living along
the shores. There are many seals,
including great fur-seal herds on the
Pribloff islands, and sea lions.
The Arctic slope is flat and devoid
of timber. The vegetation is confined
I largely to mosses, herbs and small
shrubs. The mamals include white
j fox, white Arctic hare, the weasel,
lemming and other small species of
j similar habits. Polar bear are found
on the coasts, seals are numerous,
| and several varieties of whale exist.
The birds are ptarmigan, curlew, and
I shore birds, and ducks and geese
breed in numerous lakes.
A Remarkable Bond of Unity
By Hon. S. F. Tolmie
PREMIER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
“As a friendly gesture between two
great peoples, the proposed Internat
ional Highway from Alaska to the
United Stales through British Col
umbia and the Yukon is outstanding.
Such a scheme is possible only where
the peoples are entirely en rapport
and completely in sympathy with each
other.
“A striking evidence of this feeling
of international goodfellowship was
afforded by the Jubilee Celebrations
of July 18th-20lh., when tre citizens
ofvJJyder joined hands with those of
Stewart in congratulating British Col
umbia on its sixtieth anniversary as
a unit of the Dominion of Canada-- in
a spontaneous expression of friend
ship and goodwill which will be re
membered when other happenings
which bulked more largely at the
moment have been forgotten.
“So much has been said and written
already in regard to this proposed
International Highway that little can
be added at this present juncture.
"At the moment the question is
largely a financial one. That the road
would be enormously beneficial is
quie generally recognized. For in
stance, it would open a travel route
directly to Alaska for one hundred
and twenty millions of people from
the United States, who could not
pass through British Columbia with
cut our benefit ting very largely from
tlie hugely augmented stream of traf
fic.
“Again, to link Alaska directly to
the Union by this direct overland
route would aid enormously in its de
velopment and expansion, by throwing
your wonderful national playground
wide open to millions of people to
whom meantime it is remote. The
people of the United States are sin
gularly fortunate in their country
which offers them the Yellowstone
and Yosemite, the Crand Canyon of
Colorado and the colorful coasts of
California, but in Alaska an entirely
new field awaits them. The proposed
highway would bring it conveniently
within reach, and at the same time
would enable travelers properly to see
our great Province of British Col
urabia, which in itself offers them
I he novelty of a trip abroad.
“From the commercial standpoint,
as an avenue of trade, the advantages
are so very obvious that they hardiy
call for mention.
"Outside its borders, few people
realize that Alaska is immensely
larger than British Columbia- which
itself is larger than the combined
states of Washington, Oregon and
California. Too little is known of its
extent and marvelous resources,
there is too much understanding in re
gard to its climate, but these disabil
ities would soon be removed by the
opening of this great International
Highway.
“The Pacific Highway from Tia
Juana to the fortyninth parallel has
been a tremendous asset to the Unit
ed States and particularly those of
the Pacific slope. Already we have
in British Columbia a very wonderful
route called the Cariboo Koad, which
carries the traveller as for north as
Hazelton, which lies just beyond the
fifty-fifth parallel, so that to day one
can motor all the way from Mexico
to northern British Columbia over
what is, I believe, the longest con
tinuous highway in the world.
“To carry this on to Alaska would
be possible over no less than six
: different routes, four of which would
I -.tart from Hazelton, one from Vander
hoof and one from Prince George.
“To construct the road purely as a
means of implementing and augment
j iug the tourist traffic, in my trank
i opinion, would be inadvisable; but as
a development project its possibilities
are incalculable, and on that basis it
would secure universal support. It is
from that angle, then, that we must
] view it, and that is the angle to be
! borne in selecting the route.
"At the moment, as 1 said before,
there is little to add to what has al
ready been published, beyond to say
that I think the advantages which
would accrue are everywhere admit
ted, and that I hope to see the Inter
national Highway an accomplished
fact within the next few years."