307F Summer 2025 Stampede to the Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush

The news of the discovery of gold in the Canadian Yukon in 1897 electrified millions suffering from the effects of an economic depression. The sensational and often inaccurate news stories led to an epidemic of “gold fever” and sparked a stampede to that remote and forbidding region. The results were dramatic and heroic for the lucky few; but tragic and often lethal for the vast majority seeking instant wealth. Hubris and greed were on full 4 display; brotherly love was in short supply.

Jim Anderson served three years in the Air Force and 27 years in the CIA. In retirement, he conducted leadership seminars at Civil War battlefields. He holds an MA in History from the University of Memphis. Since 2009, he has taught classes and conducted tours at OLLI on the Civil War and the American Frontier.