Last updated: January 24, 2022
As part of the Dawson City Museum Project, I am creating timelines of the Museum’s development in relation to government policy and community action (1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s).
Museum Operations

1960:
The Museum building (the old fire hall) was destroyed by fire.
Old Dawson City Museum on Fire, June 5, 1960 (Artist: Roy McLeod; Dawson City Museum Archive 1993.3.11) The Museum began searching for a new space, asking to occupy the Old Territorial Administration Building as early as December 1960 (Haldenby 1960).
1961:
Building
The Dawson City Museum and Historical Society struggled to find a new building to house the museum.
Collections
Members of the Dawson City Museum and others made public appeals for objects to rebuild the Museum’s collections. These appeals asked specifically for objects from the Klondike Gold Rush (e.g., the Tear Sheet vol. 18 no. 5):
Found in: 1.1.4: Correspondence w secretary treasurer March 1958 to October 1960. Box 1. DCM. A Klondike Mines Locomotive was donated to the Museum. It weighed 30 tonnes and was transported across the River. Click here to listen to an interview about that experience.
Klondike Mines Railway Engine No. 1, 1970 (Artists: Ed and Star Jones; Dawson City Museum Archives 1998.22.172) 1962:
Building
The Museum opened in the Old Territorial Administration Building in time for the 1962 Gold Rush Festival.
Old Territorial Administration Building, May 1976 (Artist: Pam Elton; Dawson City Museum Archives 2006.4.21) Collections
An individual from the National Museum of Canada (Gaston Tessler) spent a week cataloguing the collection. He cleaned, organized and homogenized the space (Warner 1962, 1963).
Visitors engaged with the objects, providing more information or services. For example, someone offered to repair the harmonium. Another individual opened a “metal affair” to fit pieces together and demonstrate that it was a peanut-vending machine (Warner 1962, 1963).
Exhibitions
The Museum hosted traveling exhibitions (DCM Board Meeting Minutes, May 23, 1962; Warner 1963):
- Replicas of the Crown Jewels.
- Royal North West Mounted Police and the chase of the Mad Trapper of Rat River.
- Hudson’s Bay Pictures.
There were also displays of the museum artifacts, such as a broken harmonium, harness-maker’s vise, an old map of the Yukon.
Whitehorse Star, Thursday, June 14, 1962, p. 32. Other content included:
- a collection of prints from the national archives
- a display of old keys and machinery from the Canadian National Telegraph.
Fundraising (earned revenues)
The Museum sold what would now be called Inuit prints (DCM 1962).
Staffing
Victoria Faulkner (who recently retired from the Department of Northern Affairs) acted as Curator for the summer.
1963:
Whitehorse Daily Star, Monday, February 25th 1963, p. 12 Collection
The Museum received the original staking post from the Carmack’s claim.
Exhibitions
The Museum had displays of cabin interiors (Dawson City Museum Board Meeting Minutes, February 13, 1963).
1964:
Building
The Museum installed a furnace and purchased a blacksmith shop (Warner 1964).
Collections
The Dawson City Museum received funding from a private foundation to clean and paint three engines.
Whitehorse Daily Star, Monday, May 25, 1964, p. 21 “Old-timers” (a term used to discuss miners) estates were given to the Museum (Warner 1964).
There was a deep freeze that resulted in a lot of birds dying. Residents with freezers kept the birds and then a taxidermist in Whitehorse mounted them for the Museum (Warner 1964).
Warner (1964) described other acquisitions, such as old movie film and maps. Importantly, Indigenous baskets and other works were loaned to the Museum.
Exhibitions
The Museum acquired the contents of Harry Leamon’s cabin on Bonanza Creek and exhibited the content to represent a miner’s cabin.
Harry Leamon’s Claim, c1958 (Canadian Photo Archive; Dawson City Museum Archives 2004.13.35) Research
We begin to see Museum records on research request.
1966:
Exhibitions (Board Meeting Minutes, March 4, 1966)
The Museum has 970 objects on display (This is an assumption. The Minutes actually say they have 970 “exhibitions”).
1967:
Exhibitions
The Museum had 1,000 objects on display (This is an assumption. The Minutes actually say they have 1,000 “exhibitions”- Board Meeting Minutes, January 26, 1967).
1968:
Building
A failed fire inspection report threatened the Museum’s existence (see various letters in 1.1.38: Correspondence 1968. Box 1. Dawson City Museum).
Government Policy
First Nation (Tr’ondëk Hwëchin)
In 1960, the federal government granted First Nations people the right to vote in federal elections without losing treaty status. The Yukon Council of First Nations comments on the significance of this change:
A new generation emerged, barely intact from the brutality of the mission schools, and began a movement to fight oppression, provide vision and hope, and to gain some rights for the generations to come.
Source
Federal
1960:
National Historic Sites
A person from the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resource’s National Historic Sites Branch arrives in Dawson to conduct a study of older buildings (Stuart 1990).
Last Trip of the Keno, August, 1960 (Artist: Roy McLeod; Dawson City Museum Archive 1993.3.21) The Keno, which was donated to the Canadian Government in 1959, made its last voyage on the Yukon River to Dawson City.
SS Keno, August 1963 (Artist: Harold Dines; Dawson City Museum Archive 2013.1.17) Northern Administration
The Northern Affairs and National Resources’ Northern Administration Branch provided the Dawson City Museum with a 500$ grant for active societies (Collins 1960).
1961:
National Historic Sites
The National Historic Sites Branch acquires the Palace Grand Theatre (Stuart 1990), which the Klondike Visitors Association had purchased then turned over (plaque below).
Interpretive Panel, Palace Grand, 1963 (Artists: Ed and Star Jones; Dawson City Museum Archive 1998.22.190) 1962:
National Historic Sites Branch
The National Historic Sites Branch rebuilt and reopened the Palace Grand Theatre in time for the Gold Rush Festival.
Foxy, Palace Grand Theatre, August 18, 1962 (Canadian Photo Archive; Dawson City Museum Archives 1984.241.2) The Branch commissioned historical research on the Gold Rush and Dawson buildings, which became important later when the federal government began to acquire additional sites and offer interpretation in Dawson.
National Museums
A zoologist and two student assistants from the National Museum of Canada were in Dawson City for the summer (Lotz 1964).
A cataloguer from the National Museum of Canada spent a week at the museum cataloguing (Warner 1963). The cataloguer was likely one of the Zoologist’s student assistants. Warner (1962) notes Phil Youngman from the National Museum in Ottawa (He was a mammalogist, meaning he is likely the zoologist Lotz described) asked if his cataloguer could assist the museum.
1963:
Explicit Cultural Policy
Secretary of State becomes responsible for culture.
Mid 60s:
National Historic Sites
National Historic Sites had built the theatre and repaired the Keno, but did not participate in the Gold Rush Festival or operate the sites. They leased the sites to the Klondike Visitors Association for tourism related activity while the Mining Recorder acted as the Historic Sites agent in the area. He had limited authority and recommended a full time employee for the historic sites (Stuart 1990).
1965:
Explicit Cultural Policy
The House of Commons established a Standing Committee on Culture.
The Secretary of State recommended a national cultural policy.
1966: Federal officials traveled to Dawson and Recommend the establishment of positions in Yukon (Stuart 1990).
1967:
Explicit Cultural Policy
It was the Canadian Centennial year. The Federal Government invested in the celebration of the centennial.
National Historic Sites
The National Historic Sites Branch announced they would determine how their structures would be used.
The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada held its annual meeting in Dawson, consulting community organizations. The Board recommended acquiring material relating to the Gold Rush, acquiring and preserving more building, the commemoration of gold mining, and the commemoration of Yukon transportation.
The federal government began acquiring sites, which would become part of the Klondike National Historic Sites (Stuart 1990).
For Dawson, the price of survival was the loss of autonomy. Paid for and developed from the outside by the Canadian taxpayer, Dawson depended upon external decisions for its future development.
Stuart 1990, 128National Museums
The National Museums of Museum of Canada Act passed, creating the National Museums Corporation to run the national museums.
1968:
National Historic Sites
The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development tabled the first policy statement on national historic sites at the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (Parks Canada 1976).
Other
The Government amended to Criminal Code to allow the federal and provincial governments to run lotteries, which influences future territorial funding programs that museums can access.
1969:
Other
The Official Languages Act passed, which influenced future museum funding from the federal government with bilingualism requirements for museums.
Territorial
1961: The Yukon Territorial Council discussed a territorial museum grant program (source).
1962: The Travel and Publicity Branch was established as a two person branch (Graham 1972).
1968: The Yukon Territorial Council discussed the procedures around existing grants. At this time, grants are being made to organizations, like Museum Societies, as special contributory grants without a policy (source).
Yukon Historic Sites and Monuments Board created with the Historic Sites and Monuments Ordinance.
Local
1967: The City renamed the Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall / Arctic Brotherhood Hall the Centennial Hall in honor of the Canadian centennial (source).
Community Action
1960: The Dawson City Festival Foundation was established.
1962: The Dawson City Festival Foundation organized the Gold Rush Festival with government assistance and the active participation of community organizations. The Klondike Visitors Association was particularly important.
The festival drew attention to the need for better infrastructure to attract tourists, such as improved accommodations (Lotz 1964).
Portable Motel Units Used During Gold Rush Festival, 1962 (Artists: Ed and Star Jones; Dawson City Museum Archive 1998.22. 166) 1963: The Klondike Visitor’s Association’s Gaslight Follies begin performing at the Palace Grand (source).
Program from the 1969 season (from the Jewish Museum Archives) 1966: The Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation closed.
Questions
Do you know of any important milestones that are missing?
Would any of the entries benefit from more information or links to additional resources?
Resources
Where possible, sources are hyperlinked in text or included as pictures. Additional sources include:
Collins, F.H. 1960, November 24. Letter to the Dawson City Museum and Historical Society Secretary-Treasurer. 1.1.4: Correspondence. Box 1. Dawson City Museum Archives.
DCM. 1962, September 4. Museum Register. 1.1.10 correspondence 1962. Box 1. Dawson City Museum.
Graham, R. D. Tourism and Information Branch. Yukon. 1972. Yukon Tourism 1972 Annual Report: Review of the Yukon Travel Industry 1962-1972. Whitehorse.
Haldenby, Allan. 1960, December 7. Letter to the Superintendent public works. 1.1.4: Correspondence w secretary treasurer March 1958 to October 1960. Box 1. DCM Archives.
Warner, Iris. 1964, November 19. “Preserved in Museum at Dawson. Whitehorse Daily Star. p.9.
Warner, Iris. 1963. “A Museum for Dawson City.” North, 10(4): 13-16.
Warner, Iris. 1962. “Museum – Tribute to Dawson City. Lesson to All Communities.” Journal name is not clear.
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