Dawson’s Cemeteries
I hiked back up to Crocus Bluff today to get in some Chilkoot training and also to explore the numerous Dawson City cemeteries along Mary McLeod Road. There is a much less exhausting way of getting up there, of course, straight up King Street, which becomes Mary McLeod. Park at the Crocus Bluff Recreation Area parking lot and prepare for some slight uphill strolling.
There are several cemeteries in Dawson City, one for Catholics, one for Jews, one for Masons, one for the general public, a new one for the general public (since the older one is filled up), one for the NWMP (Northwest Mounted Police) and one of the members of the Y.O.O.P. (Yukon Order of Pioneers).
In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, it was very expensive to have marble brought up the Yukon River on a barge, so grave markers tended to be plain crosses painted white black lettering. Much of the markings have worn off now, but historians and family members have managed to identify a surprising number of graves. It would be easy to spend a full day exploring the cemeteries, there is so much of interest.
The weight of history was very heavy and I sort of melancholy overtook me as I respectfully made my way through the cemeteries. What struck me the most was how the majority of the graves were of people born a world away. In fact, no one is born in Dawson City today. Expecting mothers are flown to Whitehorse.
The Dawson Visitors’ Centre has a booklet about the cemeteries containing information about some of the more interesting graves. Much of the info in the following gallery is quoted from this guide. Let me add that the booklet is written with a tone of affection and respect, like the author knew and loved the people he or she was writing about.
This evening, guests asked me where they could find the cemeteries, so my timing in going there today was perfect!
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- Catholic cemetery
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- age 3 days
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- old marker with new
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- born in Buenos Aires, died in the wilds of Canada
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- Nolasque “Jack” Tremblay, a respected and admired “Grand Old Man.” His wife Émilie opened up a ladies shop.
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- Emma Woods, a member of Dawson’s sizable black community.
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- Merilda St. Pierre whose marker is now home to woodpeckers
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- Mainville Twins, Arthur & Albert, who died within days of each other of ‘summer complaint’ (probably dehydration). Their parents had lost another young child 17 months prior.
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- a recent grave; what a lovely resting spot
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- interesting grave marker
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- Jack and Hazel Meloy. This pioneer couple, the last of their kind, epitomized the spirit of rugged independence and self-reliance.
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- Y.O.O.P. (Yukon Order of Pioneers) Cemetery
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- Jan Welzl. This intelligent eccentric was an explorer, inventor and author. He was born in Czechoslovakia and led a life of adventure and discovery across the north. Each year small delegations of followers visit this site to conduct memorial services.
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- interesting grave marker!
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- NWMP cemetery (these men died young!)
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- NWMP cemetery
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- the Jewish cemetery
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- the Jewish cemetery
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- the sad state of the Jewish cemetery, with only one grave marked
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- The names of the Jews buried in the Jewish cemetery
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- Solomon Packer was a popular merchant who owned a hardware store on Front Street and passed away at the age of 57. He was a member of the Y.O.O.P. but chose to be buried in the cemetery of his faith.
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- these ropes are the only thing identifying the final resting place of Dawson’s Jewish dead other than Solomon Packer
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- water barrel
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- water barrel
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- a lovely inscription
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- recent grave
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- Joe Vogler led a movement for a “free Alaska.” He sought secession from the U.S. and the joining together of Alaska with Yukon and part of northern British Columbia to become a separate county with laws favourable to miners. Although an American, he vowed he would never be buried in Alaska until it was free.
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- A modern-day tragedy. When 76-year old François became gravely ill in their cabin on upper Bonanza in December of 1977, 65-year-old Zdenka set out on foot to seek help “in extremely cold weather.” She was found frozen to death on the trail very near a neighbour who could have helped them. When the search party arrived at the cabin, they found François had also died. They were (and still are) missed by the mining community.
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- water barrel
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- Otokichi Arami, born in Japan, died at age 36 in August of 1901. His death was not reported in the local newspaper and little is known of him. However, he was not forgotten as this marker was erected in July 1904 by H. U. Matsumoto, relationship unknown.
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- English translation
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- the English translation is hidden behind this door
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- Ruth Mellish, aged 13
