The gold discovered on Bonanza Creek in 1896 was not the first found in the Klondike valley, but the discovery was so rich that it drew goldseekers from around the world. Although the details are still debated today, the basic outline of the discovery is not in dispute. 

On July 14, 1897, the Alaska Commercial Company steamship "Excelsior" sailed into San Francisco Bay, carrying a group of weather worn Klondike miners and more than $500,000 in gold. A day or so later, the steamer "Portland", owned by the North American Transportation and Trading Company, pulled into Seattle with 68 Klondike miners and over $1,000,000 in gold.
By then San Francisco newspapers had run front-page headlines blaring the news, and 5000 people crowded the dock to greet the "Portland". Soon the news was making headlines around the world. When the "Portland" headed north a few days later, she had a full load of passengers bound for the Klondike, and another 1500 people were clamouring for passage.

The lure of Klondike gold took hold quickly for several reasons. At the end of the nineteenth century, the old colonial dream of wealth and adventure in far flung lands still had plenty of adherents. In addition, North America had been suffering from a serious economic depression since 1893. Thousands of people saw Klondike gold as the solution to all their problems.

Whatever their reasons adventure, the lure of gold, desperation people in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and many other parts of the world immediately began laying plans to travel to a remote corner of northwestern Canada. The Klondike Gold Rush was on!