Map of gold in Alaska (1898)

This map, created by Harry King for the United States Department of the Interior in 1898, shows the potential gold reserves in Alaska.

Alaska was purchased by the United States from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, but it was not incorporated as a district of the United States until 1884. At the time this map was published, in 1898, Alaska was not yet part of the United States territorial administration, which is why it did not have a large population, with just over 30,000 inhabitants.

The discovery of gold in the neighbouring Canadian region of Yukon increased interest in the region, and the United States government launched a major propaganda campaign to encourage investors to come. The main objective was to find people to prospect for gold that the region might have, just as had been found in Yukon.

This map is part of that campaign. It shows possible gold reserves in much of central Alaska. The reality is that, when this map was published, only one gold deposit had been discovered on the outskirts of Dawson City. The rest are mere assumptions intended to inflate the expectations of potential adventurers.

In addition to existing railway lines, the map also includes potential railway lines that could be built, which would facilitate the transport of all the gold mined.

The campaign was highly successful, and in just a decade, Alaska's population doubled, although the lack of real success meant that the number of inhabitants remained at around 65,000 until the end of the Second World War.

Sources

• Map of Alaska from Juneau to Forty Mile Creek