One thing that put the Yukon on the map was the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Whitehorse became an extremely prestigious place. People from far and wide visited to go on luxurious paddle-boat cruises on the Yukon River.

SS Klondike was the name of two sternwheelers, the second now a national historic site located in Whitehorse. SS Klondike II built in 1936 from the original’s engines, boiler, and other parts in 1937 after it sank, gave up carrying ore from the silver mines in Mayo to Whitehorse for onward shipment by road.