1898
The Last Rush
In early 1898, Fritz Miller and Kenneth McLaren left the Klondike Trail, crossed the ice of Taku Arm and Atlin Lake, and discovered gold on Pine Creek that flows directly past the community of Atlin. It wasn’t paydirt, but it drew enthusiasm. The men registered a discovery claim that July, and by August the news had reached Skagway, Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia. By the end of the first season, about 3,000 people were searching for gold in the local creeks.