Stewart River
Encyclopedia
The Stewart River is a 331 mi (532.7 km) long river in the Yukon Territory
of Canada
. It originates in the Selwyn Mountains
, which stand on the border between the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory. From there, the Stewart flows west, past the village of Mayo
. The river is crossed by the Klondike Highway
at the village of Stewart Crossing, and the highway parallels the river westward for about 35 miles (56.3 km). After leaving the highway, the river travels southwest until it intersects the Yukon River 112 kilometres (69.6 mi) south of Dawson City. The mostly abandoned village of Stewart River is located at the mouth of the river.
The Stewart River was explored by Robert Campbell
of the Hudson's Bay Company
in 1850. He named the river after a friend in the company. It lay undeveloped until the Klondike Gold Rush
opened the area to prospecting and mining. Because the Stewart River was located away from the Klondike River
and the best-known gold fields, it did not receive as much attention from big mining companies. Individual miners and smaller companies explored gold prospects along the river, and in 1914, a large silver lode
was found on a tributary of the Stewart. This spurred mining, and in 1918, an even bigger silver source was found at the present-day site of Keno.
Mining operations increased and, by 1923, the value of silver mined from the Stewart River area surpassed that of the gold taken from the Klondike. Because the Stewart is shallower than the Yukon River, ordinary steamboats could not be used on the river. Special models had to be built, and these operated on the Stewart River until they were replaced by a road network after World War II
. The S.S. Keno, a Stewart River steamer, has been preserved as a Canadian historic monument in Dawson City.
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It originates in the Selwyn Mountains
Selwyn Mountains
The Selwyn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Canada, forming part of the border between the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories, and which are part of the Eastern System of the Canadian Cordillera . They are neighboured on the east by the Mackenzie Mountains and on their...
, which stand on the border between the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory. From there, the Stewart flows west, past the village of Mayo
Mayo, Yukon
Mayo is a village in the Yukon, Canada, along the Silver Trail and the Stewart River. The population was 248 in 2006. It is also the home of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose primary language is Northern Tutchone. Nacho Nyak Dun translates into "big river people". It is serviced by Mayo...
. The river is crossed by the Klondike Highway
Klondike Highway
The Klondike Highway links the Alaskan coastal town of Skagway to Yukon's Dawson City and its route somewhat parallels that used by prospectors in the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush....
at the village of Stewart Crossing, and the highway parallels the river westward for about 35 miles (56.3 km). After leaving the highway, the river travels southwest until it intersects the Yukon River 112 kilometres (69.6 mi) south of Dawson City. The mostly abandoned village of Stewart River is located at the mouth of the river.
The Stewart River was explored by Robert Campbell
Robert Campbell (fur trader)
Robert Campbell was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader and explorer. He explored a large part of the southern Yukon and established Fort Frances, Yukon on Frances Lake in the Liard River basin and Fort Selkirk, Yukon at the juncture of the Yukon River and the Pelly River. He was for a time in...
of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
in 1850. He named the river after a friend in the company. It lay undeveloped until the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
opened the area to prospecting and mining. Because the Stewart River was located away from the Klondike River
Klondike River
The Klondike River is a tributary of the Yukon River in Canada that gave its name to the Klondike Gold Rush. The Klondike River has its source in the Ogilvie Mountains and flows into the Yukon River at Dawson City....
and the best-known gold fields, it did not receive as much attention from big mining companies. Individual miners and smaller companies explored gold prospects along the river, and in 1914, a large silver lode
Lode
In geology, a lode is a deposit of metalliferous ore that fills or is embedded in a fissure in a rock formation or a vein of ore that is deposited or embedded between layers of rock....
was found on a tributary of the Stewart. This spurred mining, and in 1918, an even bigger silver source was found at the present-day site of Keno.
Mining operations increased and, by 1923, the value of silver mined from the Stewart River area surpassed that of the gold taken from the Klondike. Because the Stewart is shallower than the Yukon River, ordinary steamboats could not be used on the river. Special models had to be built, and these operated on the Stewart River until they were replaced by a road network after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The S.S. Keno, a Stewart River steamer, has been preserved as a Canadian historic monument in Dawson City.