1971 Mickel Reissue of the 1898 Klondike News, Vol 1

This is a c. 1967 Earl Mickel facsimile edition of the first and only issue of the April 1, 1898, Klondike News. The Klondike News was arguably the first newspaper in the Yukon.

The Klondike News

Published in a single issue on April 1, 1891, the newspaper was essentially a self-promotional project of Charles Henson 'Arizona Charlie' Meadows (1860-1932). 'Arizona Charlie' arrived in Dawson City with the first wave of Klondike prospectors in 1897, but instead of heading out to the gold fields, built his fortune in the service industry, opening a saloon, selling firewood, building a theater, investing in mine excavated by others, and, as here, publishing a newspaper. Meadows partnered with Virgil More of Santa Rosa and J. A. Carlisle of Seattle to publish The Klondike News.

Although the imprint strongly suggests The Klondike News was issued in 'Dawson', it was in reality printed in San Francisco to promote the gold fields. It is admittedly a lavish production, rich with lithograph imagery, photographs of successful miners, local business owners, theater actresses, beauties such as the 'Dawson City Belle', and promotions for transport ships, saloons, and more. In all, there four sections and 38 pages, including multiple maps and a promotional biography of 'Arizona Charlie' himself. The cover features a two-color chromolithograph image of George Washington Carmack (1860 - 1922), the prospector credited with launching the Klondike Gold Rush.

It is said that 'Arizona Charlie' made nearly 50,000 USD from sales from the one-issue paper. In 1901, he sold his Dawson holdings and moved back to Arizona. He went on to various adventures, including a search for lost treasure on Tiburon Island, Mexico (he found nothing). He finally retired to a ranch in Yuma, Arizona, where he became known locally as a bitter and cantankerous curmudgeon.

Klondike Gold Rush

The Klondike Gold Rush, ignited in 1896, was a frenetic migration of prospectors to the Klondike region of the Yukon in northwestern Canada, following the discovery of gold by local miners. This gold rush transformed the landscape and the lives of thousands, as over 100,000 individuals, driven by the allure of wealth, embarked on a grueling journey towards the remote wilderness, facing harsh climates, treacherous terrains, and immense hardships. Despite the arduous conditions, the promise of gold attracted fortune-seekers from around the globe, leading to the near-instant development of Dawson City and leaving a lasting legacy.

Publication History and Census

The original Klondike News was published in San Francisco in 1898. It was subsequently reprinted in the 20th century in various facsimile editions from at least 1958 to the early 1970s. Most can be distinguished by printing on the top left of the page, under 'Vol 1'. This example names Earl Mickel as the reproducer. In this example, the front page is a true two-color stone lithograph, but subsequent pages bear the distinctive matrix pattern of offset lithography. From this, it must be presumed that the original lithographic stone either survives or was remade. We have yet to identify any confirmed examples of the original 1898 printing, but at least one must survive to be the basis for this reissue. Today, even these 20th-century reissues are rare, especially as here, with the full lithograph cover.