Forty Mile City existed before Dawson City and, of course, the Klondike gold strike.
At one time there were 500 or 600 people living at Forty Mile City.
There was a small First Nation population in the Forty Mile City area. Their ancestors probably lived in that country for hundreds or thousands of years. The caption for the photograph above says, “An Indian family at home, Forty Mile City.”
Mining in the Forty Mile City area was mostly done at Miller and Glacier creeks. Around 1980, I did quite a bit of sketching and photographing, particularly around Miller Creek.
There was a most unique and interesting two-storey log building there, which was once the Miller Creek branch of the North American Trading and Transportation Company building. Sadly, it burned down about a year or so after I painted it. It
was a big blow to the descendents of the Stewart family who had been associated with Miller Creek since 1894, when Ray Stewart arrived there.
Some relatives looked me up in Whitehorse this summer. Great people they are, and it was good to see them.
This is an Eric Hegg photograph from the Yukon Archives (University of Washington collection).
Anyone with information about this subject, please write Jim Robb: The Colourful Five Per Cent Scrapbook — Can You Identify? c/o the Yukon News, 211 Wood Street, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2E4, or e-mail through the News website, www.yukon-news.com.