Dawson City entered Canadian history as a gold mining town. In 1896, gold was discovered near the city. This finding triggered a veritable gold rush and lured over one hundred thousand adventurers to Dawson City from 1896 to 1899.
The small town on the Klondike and Yukon River, became a large city with about 30,000 inhabitants within a few months by the discovery of gold. This transformation was short-lived, however, with gold having been discovered in Alaska and other places in Canada in 1898. Most prospectors went on to seek their fortune there.