In the Days of the River Boats

[@wileycoyotesr8623]

My g-grandfather was one of the first to navigate the Yukon River. He charted it. It's on oil skin paper and still good as the day he created it. I also have his log books, licenses, and other memorabilia of his time on the river. He spent more than twelve years on the river. He wintered in Seattle where twelve children were fathered over twelve years.

[@jfmezei]

You should have all that material scanned/preserved so it could be available on the Internet for posterity.

[@drunio1504]

We saw most of Dawson / Yukon River in 1992 running to and fro on the Alcan Highway. Glorious country, stunning views. We will never forget those days, full of fun, great food. Time stood still one Summer. They were restoring a river steamer then.

[@jackhorwitz1]

This Parks Canada sponsored film was produced from an original idea by Crawley Film's Judith Crawley and Sally Macdonald, sharing directing and producing credits, using found home movie footage of honeymoon couples. It is a popular and fascinating portrait of the1930's and the film is still in use as interprtative media for the S.S. Klondike National Historic Site, Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Canada. As Executive Producer I am so glad to see this loving restoration which indeed deserves to be in the public domain.

[@jfmezei]

Thanks. I wasn't sure I would get any support for posting it, but as I couldn't find any reference to it on the NFB web sote, felt perhaps it was lost. Glad to know it is still shown at the SS Klondike (where I bought the video in 1989).

[@brianbarney1885]

Thanks for sharing this! August 1972 I was driving down the AlCan with a friend and we stayed in Whitehorse a couple of days, we explored some of the dozen or so steamers that were blocked up on shore. What fun, I later heard that most of the boats were destroyed by flood and fire a few years later. Feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to see them when we did.

[@mahbriggs]

I toured the Klondike in 1990, and the Nenana in Fairbanks. Both are awesome ships. I bought a VHS video which seems to be the same as this documentary. Unfortunately the VHS tape didn't survive a house fire. Glad to watch this video, it brings back the memories! Need to do the trip again. By the way, drive the Alaskan Highway, tge scenery is worth the drive!

[@maxsdad538]

I used to live outside of Galena, and we would have a marker on the river (I think it was a BIG ass decorated wooden post) and a pool to see when this "marker" broke free and floated past a certain spot on the shore. The days leading up to the ice breakup sounded like someone exploding dynamite day and night. Scary at first (especially for a kid from Los Angeles), but invigorating to experience.

[@jfmezei]

The scene in the video showing ice breaking up and flowing past Dawson is pretty scary. can only imagine the power of that ice.

[@aliensuperweapon]

Thank you for posting! Being an European, this is really so fascinating and beautiful to see... A one of a kind world.

[@CarlosCruz-w2j]

Saludos desde ATENAS, Costa Rica!👍

[@davidsellars646]

There are a number of books and articles about the riverboats. This video filled in some gaps that the written word could not convey. Some of these boats were built in Whitehorse from "kits" built outside. Some built totally at Whitehorse and other places. In 1965, I was in Whitehorse. The Casca, and I believe,, The Whitehorse were still there. There were No Trespassing signs around them, which I respected. Later, I wish that I had explored them anyway, as sometime in the early seventies some cruel sole burned them.

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

Brilliant documentary. Cheers

[@kerrywilliams3753]

I had heard that the Willamette River steamboats were getting old when gold was discovered at Klondike, and that many of the boats made their last one-way trip from Portland to Alaska for the 1898 gold rush. There are steamboat landings on the Willamette but the boats are gone. Gold miners are crazy!

[@jfmezei]

A number of boats did make it from the Pacific up the Yukon river to Dawson. This is how many of the larger good were shipped when the town started to be built. But it was a very long way around. But further upriver towards Whitehorse and Carcross, the river is quite shallow and strong current so not sume how many boats woudl actually make it without running around on sand.

[@richardyoung1398]

They JUST DONT make documentaries like this anymore. They don’t share or teach this info anymore. It’s important to understand where we are headed.... we must preserve and know where we JUST came from (1700-1900). Those 200 years are so vitally important.

[@johnmccormick175]

Amazing!..great video!!

[@skoggiehoggins1445]

What a fantastic video. Thank you for sharing :)

[@Dan-we7vs]

Film day in school back in the day.. loved film day ...didn't you?lol

[@puffinbilly6826]

...that's exactly what I thought...!

[@anihtgenga4096]

That winch looks like a place to lose a finger.

[@stantaylor3350]

My wife & I toured the klondike at White Horse in 2009. I've heard since then that some vandals set it on fire & now it's no more. I can think just what I'd like to do to those responsible but not here.

[@jfmezei]

Google satelite image and 2015 Street View show the SS Klondike is still standing. But there is a story on CBC web siote about a fire in 2015 but it was put out before it caused any major damage. Not sure if they arrested the arsonist. But RCMP told CBC news there is video surveillance of the ship so I have to assume they got the person.

[@Harold710]

No space in Whitehorse

[@willwise4206]

enjoyed thank you

[@railroad9000]

I'll second that!@

[@PolarBear71169]

The Paddle steamers we have in Australia seem so small compared to these, didn't some have like multiple boilers?

[@jfmezei]

I visited the SS Klondike II in Whitehourse in 1989, but don't recall the details of how many boilers. I think it was only 1. The lower deck was cargo and wood. There may have been a smaller one for electricity but not sure.

[@PolarBear71169]

@@jfmezei Cheers

[@kalbossa]

Cool documentary!

[@dennisuren8639]

A beautiful time

[@mgn5667]

Thanks..

[@88stevenash]

Interesting history

[@diddlebug7241]

Wonderful information and very informative. I'm not sure if the idea was considered to fire the boilers with diesel instead of wood. It would've made things less complicated for sure.

[@jfmezei]

By the time there was easy way to transport diesel to the north, I think the boats' days were already numbered. Before that, wood was plentyfull.

[@russiannorth2440]

@@jfmezei Thanks. liked. I posted a video of a paddle steamer. he works in the north of Russia. pleasant viewing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2OZfnVjdtOoqM0

[@JeepCherokeeful]

Back then the alternative was the coal fired boiler, the diesel powered ship didn’t even exist at that point...so no, it definitely wasn’t “considered”.

[@davidlobaugh4490]

I wonder how many arms and legs got ripped off on them winches, block and tackles.🤠

[@jameshaxby5434]

How did they get all of those ships and planes into the interior of Alaska in the first place ?

[@jfmezei]

Some of the ships would have travelled all the way from Pacific ocean up the Yukon. But I think some of the ships may have been built in Whitehorse, but not 100% sure. The very early settlers who hikes up the White Pass or Chilkoot Trail built small boats at Lake Bennet where they could navigate to Dawson City.

[@dave8599]

I saw the Keno back in the early 1970's

[@PolarBear71169]

I'm guessing they couldn't tow barges because of the stern wheel?

[@jfmezei]

I would guess so, and also more difficulty taking on sharp corners of the barge in the back had a mind of its own (since it would have to be far enough behind the ship.

[@PolarBear71169]

@@jfmezei on the ones they used here on the Mighty Murray they had a Barge Master and they would actually steer the barge while it was been towed

[@mikepoteet1443]

What a terrible life.

[@nicholaskelly6375]

A lost world. But wood fired shipping is a very good idea.!

[@chrishayman1747]

So interesting! My husband and I just watched’Far Country ‘ with Jimmy Stewart a few days ago. How delightful to have references to Dawson etc in this doco.

[@bigriver2000]

Excellent video. Makes today's occupations seem quite uneventful LOL compared to the one's occupied by the lad's working on the river. Gotta love that horse capstan.

[@allanegleston4931]

thank u for posting this . a fascinating part of your history.

[@redogman67]

Thanks so much for sharing, it is extremely fascinating to see.

[@russiannorth2440]

Thanks. liked. I posted a video of a paddle steamer. he works in the north of Russia. pleasant viewing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2OZfnVjdtOoqM0

[@bernieshort6311]

What a beautiful story of days gone by. Before I retired, I was a Marine engineer in the British Merchant Navy. I saw so much of the world with many a fond memory, one of which was paying off in Baton Rouge where my wife and I sailed on an old paddle steamer up and down the Mississippi River, we took the trip several times in the two weeks we were there. Being a seafarer, I enjoyed every minute of it, especially the steam power.

[@markpatterson5250]

I agree Bernie. Nice comment. I too am a retired Merchant Seaman. I worked offshore on American ships of all sorts and worked my way up through the foc'sle. I spent my last 12 years with the Alaska ferries running up the awesome inside passage from Bellingham, Wash. to Skagway, Alaska......mostly. My wife and I used to take road trips from Juneau, here up to the Yukon and loved it up there too. Sooooo very much to see.

[@markpatterson5250]

Another interesting Canadian documentary is on the blasting out of Ripple Rock in the Seymour Narrows of BC.

[@alexsveles343]

Quite fascinating how many Russian named places there are in Canada and Alaska

[@jfmezei]

Since Alaska was formerly part of Russia, I suspect it would have more than in Canada. But many names based on first nations or Inuit would have commonality with names in Russia but might not have come from Russia.

[@acersalman8258]

this is heaven for me ❤

[@trevortrevortsr2]

fascinating - beautiful countryside

[@johnshields6852]

Those were the days, not clogged up with rules, regulations, red tape from gov agencies. True freedom