On December 1, 1894, a large crowd had assembled in George Snow’s opera house in Forty Mile, on the Yukon River, not far from today’s international boundary. Opera house implies more than this building had to offer. It was a two-storey log structure amid a jumble of other log shacks at the mouth of the Fortymile River. The days were shortening as the winter solstice approached, and the interior was dimly lit by candles and kerosene. The steamy interior smelled of wood smoke, whiskey and unwashed bodies. A hush fell over the assembly as Snow was selected to chair the meeting and explain its purpose.
The Yukon Order of Pioneers (YOOP) was formed that day. It was to be a fraternal order, which was free of political and religious controversy. Forty Mile was to become the Grand Lodge, from which subordinate lodges could be granted charters. The purpose of the order was to advance the development of the Yukon Valley, to provide for the mutual protection and benefit of its members, and “to prove to the outside world that the Yukon Order of Pioneers are men of Truth, Honor and Integrity.” Its motto was brief and simple: “Do as you would be done by.” Some suggest that it was styled after the Masonic Order, of which several of the charter Pioneers were members.
Jack McQuesten was quickly selected as president. Frank Dinsmore became the vice president, Bill McPhee the treasurer, and Fred Harte, secretary. Membership was to be granted only to those who had been in the Yukon Valley in 1888, or earlier. McQuesten and Harte were among the first echelon of pioneers that arrived in 1874.
A second lodge was quickly established in 1895, down the Yukon River at the Birch Creek diggings near the upstart town of Circle, in Alaska. Forty Mile was being depopulated as many of the seasoned prospectors moved to greener pastures in this new mining camp, which (true or not) became known as the largest log settlement anywhere. Many of the important figures in this new fraternity had moved to Circle, including McQuesten, so the Circle Lodge assumed the role as the Grand Lodge, until it, too, was eclipsed by another upstart, Dawson City, which was established at the mouth of the Klondike River.
With the discovery of gold in the Klondike, what was left of Forty Mile was emptied by a stampede to new diggings on creeks like Bonanza, Eldorado, Hunker, Dominion, Bear and Gold Run. A branch lodge was formed in Dawson on July 27, 1897. By August of 1897, the Forty Mile lodge was no more. The lodge in Dawson grew rapidly. By 1904, the membership of the Dawson Lodge had climbed to 365 from the original 68 who attended the first meeting. Membership requirements changed making eligible any white males in the Yukon basin prior to January 1, 1898. It was another 55 years before the Caucasian-only stipulation was removed from the YOOP constitution.
The YOOP expanded rapidly. A lodge was formed in Rampart, Alaska in 1899. Others were organized in Nome (1900) and Fairbanks (1904). But the Nome and Fairbanks lodges returned their charters when the YOOP Grand Lodge refused to expand the eligibility requirements to include anybody in Alaska prior to 1898.
In the years that followed, however, these secessions were replaced by new lodges in Seattle, Whitehorse, Vancouver and Mayo. By 1930, Vancouver, Seattle and Whitehorse lodges were gone, but tiny Rampart remained active into the 1940s, and Mayo until the early 1950s.
In 1966, Whitehorse applied for and received a charter for the second time. This lodge became number two, and it and the Dawson Lodge remain the only two lodges active to the present day.
The YOOP has remained primarily a social order, hosting a variety of annual events including anniversary banquets on December 1, dinners on Christmas Day, open house gatherings, “at homes,” smokers and other functions. In 1911, the Dawson lodge held a massive celebration on the anniversary of the Discovery of Klondike gold (August 17) that included a parade, speeches, games, movies for the kids and a big dance later in the evening for the adults. The following year, Discovery Day was proclaimed a statutory territorial holiday, and, with slight modification remains so to the present day.
In the early days, the Pioneers set aside a cemetery in Dawson exclusively for its deceased members, and performed a special Pioneer ritual burial service for them. Fred Harte was one of the first to be interred there. Members in need were extended a helping hand as well, and the Order handled the estates for some of the deceased.
The Pioneers exercised a strong voice advocating legislative changes, particularly in the area of mining regulations. They lobbied for a wireless station for almost two decades before radio wireless stations were set up in Mayo and Dawson in the 1920s. In 1925, the Pioneers were behind an initiative to build a road to the top of the Midnight Dome that looms over the north side of Dawson. Today, it is a popular scenic viewpoint enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.
During the mid to late 1930s, the Dawson Lodge helped expand the Discovery Day celebration into a three-day affair. Lottery tickets were sold and two winners received brand new automobiles. This ceased with World War II, but after the end of the war, the lottery prize was changed to a poke of gold – a tradition that has continued up to the present day. From the 1930s through to 1966, when Whitehorse was granted a charter for the second time, the Dawson lodge was the central player in maintaining the YOOP traditions.
The Pioneers successfully lobbied to have the new highway to Inuvik named the Dempster, and the new hospital in Dawson called the Father Judge Memorial Hospital.
In 1971 the Pioneers sponsored the first Mr. and Mrs. Yukon. The first to shoulder their special sashes were Jack and Hazel Meloy, long-time residents of the Yukon. The tradition has continued for 53 years, with the most recent honourees being Ron and Merilee Chambers, of Haines Junction. Mr. and Mrs. Yukon are announced just before the Sourdough Rendezvous, and the honourees attend a wide variety of community events throughout the year. For several years now, the Whitehorse lodge has sponsored three scholarships for Yukon students taking graduate studies, while the Dawson lodge has offered scholarships to students from Robert Service School.
But the Yukon Order of Pioneers was, and still is, primarily formed as a brotherhood for mutual care and benefit. Political and religious sentiments are set aside when they gather, and social functions continue to be an important part of their annual activities. This year, the Yukon Order of Pioneers are celebrating their 130th anniversary, making them the oldest such organization in the Yukon.
A large gathering and banquet is planned in Whitehorse this coming Sunday evening (December 1) to celebrate the anniversary. Any members of the Yukon Order of Pioneers, members of the Ladies Auxiliary to Lodge Number 2, and members of Lodges 1 and 2 of the Pioneer Women of the Yukon are welcome to attend. Tickets for the event are still available by contacting Lodge Number 2 president James Mooney before noon on Sunday, December 1. James can be reached at james@ecofor.ca
Michael Gates was the Yukon’s first Story Laureate from 2020 to 2023. His latest book, “Hollywood in the Klondike,” is now available in Whitehorse stores. You can contact him at msgates@northwestel.net
