A sternwheeler from the days of the Klondike Gold Rush

The Wreck of the A.J. Goddard

Lindsey Thomas, Doug Davidge and John Pollack

Gold 3

Achancetoprofit 4

Thelandroutes 5

BoatsfortheKlondike 6

BennettLake 7

TheYukonRiversystem 8

LeavingBennett 9

OntoDawson 10

Afterthegoldrush 11

Theworststormoftheyear 12

Disaster 13

Losttomemory 15

Theyearspass 16

Lookingforclues 17

Peopleofthelake 18

Thesearchcontinues 19

Apromisingfind 20

Discovery 21

Detailedsurvey 22

The2009season 23

The2010season 24

Newtechnology 25

Constructiondesign 26

Prefabrication 27

Forprofitandadventure 28

Wasthedesignsuitable? 29

Modifications 30

Artifacts 31

Lifeonboard 32

Outfittingthevessel 33

Morethanutilitarian 34

Conclusion 35

Acknowledgements 36

Contents

Boats line the shore of Lake Bennett at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.LibraryandArchivesCanada

ThisbookisdedicatedtoFayGoddardandtoallthevolunteerswhohavehelpedwiththeworkrelatedtotheA.J. Goddard.

©GovernmentofYukon,2012

ISBN:978-1-55362-565-0

DesignandlayoutandadditionalresearchandwritingbyPatriciaHalladayGraphicDesign

Photocredits:ASL=AlaskaStateLibrary,Juneau;LAC=LibraryandArchivesCanada,Ottawa;UAF=UniversityofAlaska,Fairbanks;UofW=UniversityofWashington,Seattle;YA=YukonArchives,Whitehorse

Front cover: Underwater view of the paddlewheel of the A.J.Goddard. Photo:LarryBonnettBack cover, top: Clara Goddard with theA.J.Goddardat Bennett, circa 1898. CandyWaugamanCollection,KLGO,UofAlaska;centre: TheA.J.Goddardin Dawson City, June 1898; A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard; bottom: Albert Goddard looking out from under a tarp on his namesake vessel, Bennett Lake, circa 1898. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddardBack cover, background: Underwater view of the bow of the A.J.Goddard. Photo:LarryBonnett

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 3

GoldInAugust1896goldwasdiscoveredonatributaryoftheKlondikeRivernearwhatisnowDawsonCity.Becauseofthearea’sremoteness,newsofthefinddidnotreachcivilizationuntilJuly1897—nearlyayearlater—whentwoshipsladenwithprospectorsandgoldreachedSeattleandSanFrancisco.

NewspaperheadlinesandtelegraphlinesspreadthenewsacrossNorthAmericaatatremendouspace.People

quittheirjobsbythetensofthousandsandleftfortheKlondikeasquicklyastheycouldfindequipmentandsupplies.

ThebusinesscommunityacrossthePacificnorthwestrushedtoequipthestampederswhoweresettingouttoseektheirfortunesintheKlondikegoldfields.

Guidebookswerehurriedtopress,writteninmostcasesonthebasisofsecondhandinformationbyauthorswhohadnotbeenthere.WestcoastcitiessuchasVancouver,Victoria,SeattleandSanFranciscobecamethedeparturepointforthestampeders.

Inthemidstofthisexcitement,agroupofSeattlebusinessmendecidedtogonorthandexploitthecommercialopportunitiesofthegoldrush.

Above: Stampeders tried almost anything in their rush to get over the mountain passes.YA,U.ofAlaskaArchivesphotographcollection#3122

Right: Stores in west coast cities competed for the miners’ business. In its haste to cash in on the rush, this store misspelled “Klondike.”YA,BillRoozeboomcollection#6303

YA,The Seattle Daily Times,Sunday,July18,1897

4 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

A chance to profitAlbertJ.GoddardwasaSeattlebusinessmanandwasactiveinpolitics.OriginallyfromIowa,heandhisbrotherCharlesmanagedapros-perousSeattlefoundrybusiness,thePacificIronWorks,forseveralyears.

AlberthadbenefitedfromthegreatSeattlefireof1888,whichdestroyedallofthefoundriesexcepthisown.WhengoldwasdiscoveredintheKlondike,Goddard’sbusinesswasone

ofthemostprofitablefoundriesintheregionandhewasfinanciallycapableofimmediateaction.

Goddardhadexpertiseinfabricationandsteamengineering.Thisputhiminanexcellentpositiontoheadnorthandbenefitfromthecommercialopportunitiesthatwereemergingontheroutestothegoldfields.

AlltheroutestotheKlondikeinvolvedvastdistances.One—theall-waterroute—lednorthalongthePacificCoastbycoastalsteamertoSt.Michael,Alaska,nearthemouthoftheYukonRiver.

AtSt.Michael,passengerstransferredtooneofthefewriversteamboatsheadeduptheYukonRivertoDawson.

Thisroute,approximately7,000kilometres(km)long,wasexpensiveandpassedthroughthe

treacherousBeringSea.Inaddition,theshortnorthernsummerlimitedthenavigationseasonontheriver.

Above: This 1897 map promotes Portland, Oregon as a departure point for the Klondike. YA,Pamphlet1897-82C

Right: Gold-seekers throng the Seattle waterfront, 1898. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

Below: Steamboats Louiseand Bellaat St. Michael, Alaska, ca. 1898. ASL,ClaudeHobartPhotographColl.P425-6-34

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 5

The land routesMostofthegoldseekerstookashorterbutmoredifficultroute.AftertravellingbysteamshiptosoutheasternAlaska,theypackedtheirsuppliesovertheChilkootorWhitePasstrailstotheheadwatersoftheYukonRiversystem.

TheportsofDyeaandSkagway,Alaskawerethestagingpointsforthetwoheadwatertrails;DyeawasthestartingpointoftheChilkootTrailandSkagwaywasthestartingpointoftheWhitePassTrail.ThetrailsledfromtheUnitedStatestoCanada,acrossaboundarywhoseexactlocationhadstillnotbeendetermined (see map, right).

Thetwotrailsbecameinfamousfortheirhardships.Inadditiontosevereweatherandharshterrain—andtheinexperienceofmostofthestampeders—therewasanotherchallenge:theNorth-WestMountedPolice

(NWMP),concernedthatthousandsofpeoplewouldarriveinDawsonwithoutadequatefoodorsupplies,ruledthateverygoldseekerhadtobringayear’ssupplyofprovisions.Thestampedershadtohaulthis“tonofgoods”overthemountainpasses,relayingitontripaftertrip.

Right: Organised chaos at Dyea, ca. 1898.YA,AntonVogeefonds#114

Left: An unending line of stampeders ascends the Chilkoot Pass, ca. 1898. YA,WinterandPondfonds#2293

The land routes to the Klondike. The disputed boundary line shown on the map is farther inland than the eventual U.S./Canada border.YA,A.e.Ironmonger-Sola:Klondyke: Truth and Facts of the New El Dorado,1897

6 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

Boats for the KlondikeOncethestampedersfinallyhauledalltheirgoodstotheheadwaterlakes,theyhadtobuildaboatorraftforthe800-kmriverportionofthejour-neytoDawsonCity.Mostofthemhadneverbuiltaboatbefore,andmany

ofthevesselsthattheybuiltattheheadwaterlakeswerecrudescowsmanoeuveredwithlongoars,orsweeps,barelyabletomakethetriptothegoldfields.

AlbertGoddardsawtheneedforamoresophisticatedvessel.HeorderedpartsfortwosmallprefabricatedsteamboatsfromtheRisdonIronWorksinSanFrancisco,California.Thevessels,whichweredesignedtohisspecifications,wouldbeshippednorthinpiecesandassembledatBennett.TheywouldbeputtouseontheYukonRiversystembythenewventureheestablished,theUpperYukonCompany.

Somestampederswhotookthelonger,all-waterroutetoSt.Michael

in1897hadbeencaughtbywinter,andfoundtheirsteamboatsfrozeninonthelowerYukonRiver.Goddarddecidedthatthemountainpasses,whiledifficultanddangerous,werethebetterroutesfortransportingthedisassembledvessels,millandsupplies.Above: Two men whipsawing lumber for a boat.

YA,GeorgeB.Laddfonds90/13R#183

Men on handmade boats at Bennett, ca. 1898; note the small paddlewheel at left. UAF-Selid-Bassoccoll.64-92-369

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 7

Bennett LakeByMarch1898Goddard’scompanyhadmovedthemanytonnesoftools,sheetiron,rivets,steamenginesandboilerstothecommunityofBennett,BritishColumbia.Bennett,attheheadofBennettLake,waswheretheChilkootandWhitePasstrailsconverged.Moststampedersmadetheoverlandtripinthewinter

andthensetoffintheirhomemadeboatsassoonastheicewasoffthelakesandriver.

TheUpperYukonCompanyemployeesreportedlyhauledtheirfreightovertheWhitePassTrail,longerbutlesssteepthantheChilkootandmoresuitableforhorses.TheymayhavereturnedtothecoastviatheChilkootTrail.TheymayalsohaveusedtheaerialtramwaythathadrecentlybeeninstalledontheChilkootPass.

Bennettwasabustlingfrontiertentcommunitycreatedbythegoldrush.Tensofthousandsofmenandwomanwerecampedthere,waitingfortheicetogoout,buildingboatsofallshapesandsizes.

Overthecourseofmanyweeksthecompany’sskilledworkersassembledtwo16-metrerivetedsteelstern-wheelersontheshoresofthelake.TheA.J. Goddardwascompletedfirst,followedbytheF.H. Kilbourne.

Above: Bennett, ca. 1898. Note small wooden sternwheeler, centre (not the A.J.Goddard).ASL,P.e.LarsscollectionPCA4-1-21

Below, left: The completed A.J.Goddardat Bennett, with the hull of the F.HKilbourne (at right); below right: At Bennett while the vessels were being assembled; Clara Goddard at right. Left:RobertCourtneyColl.,KlondikeNationalParkHistoricSite;right:A.J.GoddardColl.,courtesyFayGoddard

8 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

The Yukon River systemLikethestampeders,thecompanydependedoncompletingthevesselsbythetimetheicemeltedandtheriveropenedup.Thentheracetothegoldfieldswouldcontinue,nowonwaterinsteadofland.

TheupperYukonRiversystemconsistsofaseriesoffourlargeinterconnectedheadwaterlakesthatextendedmorethan243km,fromBennettinB.C.tothedownstreamendofLakeLabergeintheYukon.

FromthefootofLabergeitisanother550kmontheYukonRivertoDawsonCity.TheYukonRiverflowsnorthtoDawson,thencurveswesttoemptyintotheBeringSea.

Thewaterwayisnavigableinbothdirections,exceptforthefive-kmsectionofwateratMilesCanyonandtheWhitehorseRapids,justupstream

fromwhatisnowWhitehorse.There,aftermanystampederscametogrief,theNWMPruledthatonlyexperiencedriverboatmanandpilotscouldrunthegauntletofswiftwhitewaterandrapids.Upstreamtravelthroughtherapidsandcanyonwasimpossible.

Above: Raft in Miles Canyon, ca. 1898.YA,VancouverPublicLibrarycoll.#2174

Left: Stampeders at Marsh Lake, waiting for the ice to go out.YA,92/15RoyMintercoll.#21

Above: The A.J.Goddard, with a canoe across the bow, at Carcross circa 1898.YA,VancouverPublicLibrarycoll.#2237

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 9

Leaving BennettOnMay28,1898,theicewentoutonBennettLake.Thousandsofboatstooktothewaterwithin48hoursandheadedfortheDawsonCitygoldfields.TheA.J. GoddardappearstohavedepartedBennettonJune2,1898,reachingtheNWMP’sTagishLakepostthenextday.TheboatwasunderCanadianregistration.

SincetheU.S.-Canadaboundarywasstillbeingdeterminedatthetime,thestampeders,whostartedtheirover-landjourneyinAlaska,hadtoclearCanadiancustoms,eitheratthesummitoftheChilkootorWhitePass,oratTagish.

OnJune17,1898,theSan Francisco Call reportedatrialrunonMay31bytheA.J. GoddardbetweenBennettandCarcross,atthefootofBennettLake.ThevessellikelyreturnedtoBennettandwaitedtherefortherestoftheheadwaterlakestobecomefreeofice.

TheA.J. GoddardstayedonthelakessouthofTagishpostforanothertwoweeks,possiblybecauseicewasstill

blockingMarshLake.Thecrewlikelytookadvantageofthisopportunitytotowotherboatsforprofit(see photo, below left),ortoactasaferry,

astheUpperYukonCompanyhadplannedfortheGoddard’ssistership,theF.H. Kilbourne.

Above:ASL,Daily Alaskan(Skagway),July22,1898

Below: The A.J.Goddardat Bennett. ASL,CharlesH.MetcalfPhotographColl.P34-009

The F.H.Kilbourne towing boats on Lake Bennett, 1899. MacBrideMuseum1989-3-1-412

1 0 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

On to DawsonOnJune16,1898,theA.J. GoddarddepartedtheupperendofLakeBennettandheadedforDawson.Shortlyafterward,thevesselarrivedatthesmalllandingofCanyonCity,justupstreamofMilesCanyon.

TheA.J. Goddardproceededunderitsownpowerthroughthedifficultstretchofwater,onlythethirdstern-wheelertoaccomplishthisfeat.The

vesselarrivedinthesmallsettlementofWhitehorseonJune17.

TheboatcontinueddowntheYukonRivertoLakeLaberge,thenthroughthesectionofriverknownastheThirtyMile.ItarrivedinDawsonCityintheearlyhoursofJune21withtenpassengersandacrewofeight.

TheA.J. Goddardwasthefirststern-wheelertonavigatefromBennetttoDawsonCityin1898.Ashorttimelater,itwasoneofthefirststern-wheelerstomakethereturntripupstreamfromDawsontothelowerendoftheWhitehorseRapids.AlbertGoddard’swifeClaraaccompanied

himonthevoyage,andwaslaterhonouredasthefirstfemaleriverboatpilotontheUpperYukonRiver.

The Columbian,JosephClossettandVictorian on the Whitehorse waterfront, Spring 1900. The diminutive Clossettwas still 7 metres longer than the Goddard.YA,UAAcollection#3124

Below: Clara Goddard, 1898, in the tent that served as her home and the office of the Upper Yukon Company. When her husband Albert became ill with typhoid she took over his duties as well as nursing, cooking and cleaning.A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

The A.J.Goddardat the dock in Dawson, 1898.A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 1 1

After the gold rushFromthispointon,littleisknownabouttheA.J Goddard.LikemanyofthepioneervesselsontheYukonRiver,itwaslikelytoosmalltobeasprofitableasthelargersteamboatsonthe500-kmjourneybetweenWhitehorseandDawsonCity.WiththecompletionoftheWhitePassand

yearslater,theCDCwasitselfsoldtoWP&YR,butthereisnoevidencethattheA.J. GoddardwaseverrecognizedasbeingapartofWP&YR’sassets.

Above: By 1901, Whitehorse had grown (compare this to photo, p. 10). Most of these vessels were owned by WP&YR’s river division.YA,e.J.Hamacherfonds(MargaretandRolfHougencoll.),2002/118#95

YukonRouterailway(WP&YR)betweenSkagwayandWhitehorsein1900,WhitehorsehadbecometheheadofnavigationontheYukonRiver;Bennettbecameaghosttown.

TheA.J. GoddardwastoosmalltoeasilynavigatethemoredifficultsectionsoftheYukonRiver,suchasFiveFingerRapidsandRinkRapids.ItspentmuchofitstimeinthetowingbusinessonLakeLaberge.

In1899theUpperYukonCompanywassoldtoacompetitor,theCanadianDevelopmentCompany(CDC),whichappearstohaveconfinedthevessel’sservicebetweenWhite-horseandthefootoftheThirtyMileRiver.Two

The A.J.Goddardin Dawson, dwarfed by larger boats. YA,RobertCouttsfonds,78/69#357

1 2 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

Inthelatefallof1901,theA.J. GoddardmadeatripbacktoWhitehorsefromLowerLaberge.Thesmallvesselhadonlyfivepeopleonboard:thecrew—CaptainCharlesedwardMacDonald,cookFayRansom,firemanJohnThompsonandengineerJuliusStockfeld—aswellasonepassenger,C.P.Snyder.

OnOctober11,theA.J. GoddardenteredLakeLabergewithalargebargeintow;CaptainMacDonaldlikelyhopedtomakeWhitehorsebytheendoftheday.ThelakeissimilartomanyotherlargemountainandnorthernlakesinwesternCanada.Violentstormsanddangerousseaconditions,withshortsteepwaves,canarisewithlittlewarning.

TheKlondike Nugget reportedthattheA.J. Goddardencounteredthe“worststormoftheyear.”AnOctoberstorminasmallopensteamboatonalargenorthernlakewouldbe

anintenseandmiserableexperience.Thelittleshipwasblastedwithfreez-ingrainandsnowandpoundedbywavesthatputwaterontothedecks.Thevesselwasreportedtohavelostitstowandwascompelledtokeepitsbowintothenowintensewind.

Clara Goddard with the vessel at Bennett. Note how open the ship was to the elements. CandyWaugamanCollection,KLGO,UofAlaska

The worst storm of the year

Lake Laberge is prone to wind and storms. Photo:GovernmentofYukon

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 1 3

DisasterDespitethecrew’sefforts,theA. J. Goddardbegantotakeonwater,whichextinguishedtheboilerfires.Thisleftthewood-burningshipwithoutpower.Thevesselfounderedandsanktothelakebottomonlyafewhundredmetresfromshore.CharlesMacDonald,FayRansomandJohnThompsonalldrowned.

JuliusStockfeldandC.P.Snyderwentintothewaterandhungontothedetachedpilothouse.Aftermorethananhouroffightingfortheirlives,theywererescuedbyalocaltrapperinarowboat.Giventhecoldtemperatureofthelakeitisremark-ablethattheydidnotdieofhypothermia.Thereislittledoubtthatthetrapper’sactionssavedtheirlives.

ThebodyofCharlesMcDonaldwasfoundonMay3,1902;FayRansomewasfoundJuly8andJohnThompsonwasfoundJuly27.ThethreewereburiedatthebackoftheLowerLabergepolicepostbythemembersofthedetachment.

Above: The Royal North-West Mounted Police detachment at Lower Laberge, 1915. GlenbowArchivesNA-1663-43

Albert Goddard on his namesake boat, Bennett Lake, circa 1898. The open vessel provided little protection from the elements.A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

1 4 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 1 5

Lost to memoryTheA.J. Goddardwasoneofseveralsternwheelersfromthegoldrusherathatwerelostduetomisfortuneordisaster.Despiteextensiveresearch,informationaboutitswhereaboutswasnotfound;thelocationwasnevermappedordescribedinanydetail.

Theonlythingthatmarkeditsexistencewasthenameofthemodestshorelineprominence,GoddardPoint,whichin1936becameanofficialmapfeatureontheNationalTopographicSystemMapSeriesandisstillinusetoday.

PeoplereturnedtoGoddardPointonafewoccasionstopayhomagetothosewhohaddied.ThesurvivingfamilyofCaptainMacDonaldreceivedaphototakenin1939 (above, right)showing

twomenwhoplacedamarkeratthegravesiteofCaptainMacDonald.

Intheearly1950s,MacDonald’sdaughter,IreneMacDonaldHopp,madeapilgrimagefromsoutheastAlaskatotheYukontorememberherfather.Withthehelpofwell-knownYukonpilotBudHarbottle,she

reportedlyflewtotheLowerLabergeareatolookforthegravesiteandtodropabronzeplaqueoverthesiteofthewreckinhonourofherfather.

Above: Grave of Capt. MacDonald. N.DeckerColl.Left: A model of the A.J.Goddardappeared as a parade float in the 1929 gathering of the Sourdough Stampede Association in Seattle. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

Above: Clara Goddard died in 1953; Albert in 1958. A.J.GoddardColl.,courtesyofFayGoddardPage14:YA,Klondike Nugget,October14,1901

1 6 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

The years passOvertheyears,anyknowledgeofthewreck’slocationwaseventuallylostaspeoplefamiliarwiththestoryeitherlefttheterritoryordied.Thefewarticlesandbooksthatmen-tionedtheA.J. GoddardtalkedaboutthelossasamysteryorastheghostshipofLakeLaberge.

TouristsandoutdooradventureseekerspassedbyGoddardPointbythethousandswithoutknow-ingwhatlaybeneath.

In1978,however,interestinthemanyhistoricalshipwrecksalongtheupperYukonRiverandSouthernLakesregionoftheterritoryincreased.Parks

Canadateams,underthedirectionofPeterWaddell,visitedmanywetorsubmergedhistoricgold-rush-erasites;thesestretchedfromLakeLinde-maninB.C.allthewaydownthelakeandriversystemasfarastheThirtyMileRiverintheYukon.

TheParksCanadadiveteamssurveyedmanysites,includingtheareanearGoddardPoint.ManyanecdotalreportsofthetimeconnectedtheA.J. GoddardtothewoodenremainsofasternwheeleralongtheshorelinenotfarfromGoddardPoint.Left: Looking south at Goddard

Point. Photo:GovernmentofYukon

Above: Aerial view of Goddard Point, May 2010; note ice on lake. Photo:DougDavidge

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 1 7

Looking for cluesThereis,infact,awrecksitevisibleinshallowwaterjusttothenorthofGoddardPoint.Fieldworkin1978bytheParksCanadateamrevealedthatthiswasnottheA.J. Goddard,butmostlikelytheremainsofthesteamerVidette

andpossiblyasecondwooden-hulledvessel.TheParksCanadateamsearchedoffshoreofGoddardPointusingdiversonatoweddiveboard,butdidnotdetectanysignoftheA.J. Goddardwreck.

In1986theYukonUnder-waterDivingAssociation(YUDA)resumedthesearchforthemanywrecksinthewatersoftheupperYukonRiver.TheGovernmentof

Yukon’sDepartmentofTourismprovidedfundingfortheYukonUnderwaterHistoricResourcesInventory,whichwouldfurtherinvestigatethemanystoriesbehindthesternwheelerwrecks.

MarinearchaeologistNormeastonconductedagreatdealofarchivalresearch,duringwhichhediscoveredthattheA.J. GoddardsankclosertoGoddardPointthanpreviouslythought.Findingthevessel,whichwasonlyabout15metreslongandaboutthreemetreswide,wouldbeverydifficultwhensearchingoneormoresquarekilometresoflakebottom.

Below: Steamer Vidette, which later sank in Lake Laberge, stuck in the ice near Indian River, south of Dawson. YA,A.K.Schellingerfonds#5919

Left:YukonUnderwaterDivingAssociationHeritageResourcesInventory:FinalReport.

1 8 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

People of the lakeTheTa’anKwäch’änareaFirstNationwhotaketheirnamefromTàa’anMän(LakeLaberge)intheheartoftheirtradi-tionalterritory.GoddardPointisatraditionalcampforTa’anKwäch’änfamilies,anditispossiblethattheyassistedintherescueofpeoplefromthesinkingsternwheeler.

WeacknowledgetheassistanceofMarkNelson,GlenGradyandJasonShorty,whovisitedtheprojectin2009withTKCelders.

Above: Ta’an Kwäch’än elder Jim Miller (at right) was born at Goddard Point and his family resided there for many years following the sinking. When Jim started working, he was a crew member on the sternwheelers and used to pass by Goddard Point all the time. Dennis Broeren (at left) grew up at Lower Laberge, not far from the wreck site. Photo:Ta’anKwäch’änCouncilLeft: Dennis Broeren, Jim Miller and Glenn Grady at Lower Laberge, 2009. The wooden fragments along the shore are the remains of the sternwheeler Casca, sticking out of the beach gravels. Photo:DonReid

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 1 9

The search continuesIn1986volunteersfromYUDAconducteddetailgridsurveysinthevicinityofGoddardPointusingconventionaldepthsonartechnol-ogy.Thisprovedunsuccessful;nopromisingsonartargetsweredetectedanywhereclosetoGoddardPoint.Attemptstospotthewreckfromtheairalsofailedtoturnupanyresults.Thequestionremained:WherecouldtheA.J. Goddardhavegonedown?

Asunderwatersonartechnologyimproved,YUDAacquiredasidescansonarsystem,whichwasbettersuitedforsearchinglargeflatareas.GoddardPointwastheperfectplacetotesttheequipment.InJuly1997,DougDavidge,withthehelpofSteveArrell,usedthesystemtoscanaswathof

lakebottom1000metreswide.

AftertheysurveyedthelakebottomtheyhadagrainysidescanimagethatrevealedapromisingtargetnotfarfromGoddardPoint.Thetechnologywasnotrefinedenoughtoidentifytheobject,however,ortopinpointtheexactlocation.GPStechnologywasnotyetavailable.

Furtherattemptstohoneinonthewrecksiteorinvestigatethelakebottommetwithlittlesuccess.TheA.J. Goddardremainedelusive.

Right: Goddard side scan chart, July 1997.Photo:DougDavidge

Above: Doug Davidge surveying the wreck of the sternwheeler Canadian in 1986. Photo:Normeaston

2 0 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

A promising findIn2007,interestinYukonwrecksiteswasrekindledbytheInstituteofNau-ticalArchaeology(INA)andindividu-alssuchasJohnPollackandRobynWoodward.TheyvisitedthemanywrecksitesbetweenCarcrossandDawsonCitytoexploreanddocumentthevarietyofship’sarchitectureusedalongoneofNorthAmerica’slongestnavigableriversystems.

TheYukonRiverSteamboatSurvey(YRSS),acollaborativeeffort,graduallyevolved.ItspartnersincludedtheGovernmentofYukon,theINA,ProMareandtheRoyalCanadianGeographicalSociety.InearlyJune2008,theYRSSfocusedonseveraloftheknownandrumouredwrecksitesalongtheThirtyMileRiver.

AsmallteamfromthesurveymadeanunscheduledstopatGoddardPointatDougDavidge’ssuggestiontotesttheirequipmentwhileonroutetotheThirtyMile.ThegroupincludedDavidge,JohnPollack,RobynWood-ward,ChrisAtkinsonandTimDowd.

Whiletheteammemberstestedoutanewsidescanimagingsystem,aconventionalfishfinderpickedupasizabletargetofinterestinabout15metresofwater,notfarfromGoddardPoint.Theteammaderepeatedpassesoverthetargettoobtain

accurateGPScoordinates,sotheycouldrevisitthesite.

Above: Carlos Velazquez conducts a LIDAR survey of the evelyn/Norcom on Shipyard Island, Thirty Mile River, 2007. Photo:JohnPollackBelow: The KlondikeI, sinking in the Thirty Mile River, 1936. YA,GSCcoll.90/36#81585

The OliveMay, sinking in the Thirty Mile River and roped to shore. YA,e.J.Hamacherfonds(MargaretandRolfHougencoll.),2002/118#93

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 2 1

DiscoveryOnJuly5,2008,DougDavidgereturnedtoGoddardPointbyboatonasolotrip.HewantedtoinvestigatethepromisingsonartargetthatthesurveyteamhadfoundinJune.WiththeaidofGPStechnologyandadepthsounder,herelocatedthelakebottomanomalyandflaggeditwithafloatmarker.

Hethenloweredasmallunderwatervideocameratothelakebottomwhiledriftingoverthetarget.Despitepoorvisibility,imagesofmetalstructurecameintoviewonthesmallvideodisplayintheboat.

Davidgemadeseveralmorepassesoverthewreckagewhilerecordingvideoimagesfromtheunderwatercamera.Itwasclearthattherewasalargemetalstructureaswellasdeckhatches,planksandmachinery.

Thekeyfindingwasasteam-poweredwindlass.Itwasobviousthatthiswasasunkenvessel.AllthathecouldseehadastrongresemblancetotheA.J. Goddard asseeninhistoricphotos.

DavidgereportedtheseinitialfindingstotheCulturalServicesBranchoftheGovernmentofYukonandtothemembersoftheINAteam.

Right: The first glimpse of the wreck, July 2008. Photo:DougDavidge

2 2 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

Detailed surveyItwasclearthatmoretimeandeffortwasneededtosubstantiatetheinitialfindings.DougDavidgeplannedafollow-upsurveyusingamoresophisticatedunderwatervideocamera.

OnAugust30,2008,DougDavidge,BonnieBurns,KenNordin,MitchNordinandDylanNordintravelledintwoboatstoGoddardPoint.Thenextmorning,theteammembersdeployedaremoteoperatedvehicle(ROV)tothelakebottomandbeganadetailedsurveyofthediscovery.

Withinafewminutestheysawacompletepaddlewheelstillinplaceonthesternofasmallshallow-drafthull.ItwasindeedtheA.J. Goddard.Thevesselsatperfectlyupright,withdebrisandobjectsofallsortslitteringthedeckandsurroundingarea.

ItwastheviewthatDavidgehadwonderedaboutformorethan20yearsanditwasexactlyhowhehaddreameditmightlook.ThelittlegoldrushsteamerwasnolongertheghostshipofLakeLaberge.

AfterreturningtoWhitehorsethatevening,DavidgealertedtheGovermentofYukonandtheYRSSteamoftheexcitingfindings.

Left: Doug Davidge next to the wreck, June 2009. Photo:DonReid

ROV survey boat, August 2008. Photo:BonnieBurns

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 2 3

The 2009 seasonAfterthewreckoftheA.J. Goddardwasdiscoveredin2008,thepriorityoftheYRSSprojectteamwastodivethewreckasearlyaspossiblein2009tocarryoutapreliminaryassessment.TheteamplannedafieldseasonforearlyJuneassoonastheicewasoffthelake.

DougDavidgeandtheINA’sJohnPollackledateamofarchaeologists,scientistsandphotographers.TheyspentfivedayslivingontheshoreofLakeLabergeanddivingontheshipwreck,despiteawatertempera-turethathoveredaroundtwodegreesCelsius.

Team photographerDonReidtookhundredsofphotographsofthevesselandmajorartifacts.Therestoftheteamsurveyedtheshipusingtraditionalmethods:tapemeasuresandslates.Themeasurementsandphotographswereusedtocreateasetofplansforthevessel.

Theextentofmaterialatthesitemadeitclearthatareturntripin2010wasneeded.LindseyThomas,agraduatestudentintheNautical

Above: A Longnose sucker (Catostomuscatosto-mus) on the paddlewheel. Photo:LarryBonnett

ArchaeologyProgramatTexasA&MUniversity,wasofferedthesiteforherthesisproject.

Above: John Pollack, Doug Davidge and Jim Delgado sitting around the campfire, 2009.Below: crew, boat and gear on shore, 2009.

Bothphotos:GovernmentofYukon

2 4 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

The 2010 seasonInJune2010alarger14-memberteamwasledbyLindseyThomas.TeammemberstravelledtoLakeLabergefortendays,withfourgoals:recordthemachineryandconstruc-tionfeaturesofthehull;usesonarto

mapthevesselinthreedimensions(3D);createacompletecatalogueofartifacts;andrecoverartifactsforconservationandexhibit.

TheteamsetupalargebasecampontheshoreofLakeLaberge(right).MostteammemberswerevolunteersfromCanadaandtheUnitedStates;theywereledbyunderwaterarchaeologistsfrombothcountries.Divingandsonaroperationsextendedthroughthedayandsometimesaslateasteno’clockatnight,takingadvantageofthemidnightsun.

Recordingofthehull,whichbeganin2009,continued.Diverslaidabase-linedownthecentreofthebowand

alongthesideofthemidshipssectionofthehullinordertorecordthevessel’sdimensionsandlayout.

Althoughthismethodwasveryusefulforrecordingsmalldetailsofthehull,itcouldnotanswerallquestions.Theteamwouldneedtouseasonarunittoobtainaccuratedataaboutthethree-dimensionalshapeofthehullandtheinteriorofthevessel.

Above: Camp photo, 2010. Photo:WayneLusardi

A German film crew filming the documentary GoldRushGhostShips, 2010. Photo:GovernmentofYukon

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 2 5

New technologyThefieldteamhadaccesstotheBlueViewBV5000,afasthigh-resolutionprofilingsonar,throughthedonatedassistanceofBlueViewTechnologies,whichdevelopsunder-wateracousticmeasuringandimagingsystems,andOceanGate,acompanydedicatedtoassistingscientificresearchbypairingresearcherswithinterestedvolunteerswhocontributeresources.

Thesonarunit,whichwasmountedonatripodanddeployedbydivers,wasidealfortheA.J. Goddardproject.Itwassetup22timesbothonandaroundthevesselinordertocreatea

digitalmodeloftheboat.

Visibilityatthesitewaslimitedtotwometresevenonthebestdays,andthe3Dimageproducedbythesonarunitwastheonlywayfordiverstoseetheentirevesselatonetime.

Avaluableaspectofthesonarunitwasitsabilitytoseeinsidesectionsofthehull.Constructiondetailsthatwereotherwiseinaccessibletodivers,suchasthespacingofdeckbeams,werevisibleonthecomputerscreenwithinminutesofthescan.

Wayne Loeber with a BlueView BV5000 mechanical scanning sonar. Photo:MarkThomas

Below and right: Images from BlueView sonar.BlueViewTechnologiesandOceanGateInc.

2 6 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

Construction designLindseyThomasusedthesonardataandfieldmeasurementstocreateaconstructionplanoftheA.J. Goddard.Theplanwouldhelpteammembersbetterunderstandthemethodsusedbytheboat’sbuildersandthepeoplewhocarriedthecomponentpartsofthevesseloverthemountains.

ThehulloftheA.J. Goddardfeaturesasimpleconstructiondesign,likelytofacilitatebothitsassemblyinthewildernessandanyfuturerepair.Onlythepilothouse,guards,tackstrips,bowrailing,cylindertimbers,wheelsupport,splashbulkheadandpaddle-wheelbucketsweremadeofwood.Theywerelikelyhand-cutfromthe

sprucetreessurroundingLakeBen-nett,thuseliminatingtheneedtocarrythesepartsoverthemountains.

Thehullanddeckaremadeofsteelsheetsingle-rivetedtothedeckbeamsandframes.Thestructuralcomponentsarerelativelyuniform,withfive-cmangleironusedfortheframing,deckbeams,carlings,trusses,stanchions,clampsandhatchcoaming.

TheA.J. Goddardwasunusualforitstime;mostYukonsteamboatswerebuiltofwood.AlbertGoddard’sfamil-iaritywithmetalboatconstructionatthePacificIronWorksinfluencedhischoiceofametalhull.

L. Thomas 12/10

Exterior plan. LindseyThomas

Right: The wooden hull of the S.S.KlondikeII, under construction at the Whitehorse shipyards, 1936–37; Syd Smith on scaffolding. The vessel was built to replace its predecessor, also made of wood, which sank in the Thirty Mile River in 1936 (see page 20). SydSmithcollectionParksCanada

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 2 7

PrefabricationTheA.J. Goddard’sconstruction,usingangle-ironframing,issimilartomanyothermetalhullsbuiltduringthisperiod.Whilethesimplicityofthedesign,whichmeanteaseofrepair,wassuitedtotheYukon,itwasnotdevelopedspecificallyforuseontheYukonRiver.Instead,itispartofthelargertraditionofthenewlydevelop-ingfieldofmetalhullconstruction.

Similardesignandconstructionfeaturescanbefoundinnumerousship-buildingguidesfromthenineteenthcentury.ThesetypesofvesselswerefarmorecommonoutsideoftheYukon,wherethetraditionalwoodenboat-buildingmethodswerepredominant.

PrefabricatedinSanFranciscobyRisdonIronWorks,theA.J. Goddardwasakitvesselintendedtobetransportedinsections.“BuildItYourself”steamboatkitswerecommonattheendofthenineteenthcentury.Buyerscouldpurchase

aboatthroughacatalogueorfromasupplierandassembleitthemselves.

Insteadofpurchasingapre-designedkitvessel,AlbertGoddarddesignedonehimself.RisdonIronWorkslikelyhandledthedetailsofcreatingafullconstructionplan.Ifspecificplansstillexist,theyhavenotyetbeenfound.

Interior plan. LindseyThomas

L. Thomas 10/10

Risdon Iron Works, San Francisco, ca. 1898. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

2 8 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

For profit and adventureWhenAlbertandClaraGoddardtravellednorthwiththeUpperYukonCompany(UYC)in1898,theyweretakingagreatrisk.AlbertGoddardclearlyhadagoodideaofwhatwasrequiredwhenhedesignedhisvessel,butquestionsmusthavelingeredasheandClaraheadedoverthemountainsintothewilderness.

WouldthevesselsuittheirneedsandtransportthemsafelytoDawson?Hadtheychosentherighttypeofboat?ResearchintothehistoryandconstructionoftheA.J. Goddardanswerssomeofthesequestions.

TheGoddardswentnorthforprofitandadventure.Inordertoprofit,speedwasessential.Althoughhaul-ingtheboatsovertheCoastMoun-tainrangemeantexponentiallymoreeffortthanshippingthembytheallwaterroute,AlbertGoddardknewthatthiswasthefastestandmostreliablemethodofgettingtothegoldfields.Hedesignedaboatthatwouldbesuitableforthesecircumstances.Portabilitywasthemostimportantfactorindeterminingthedesignofthevessel.

Right, top: The A.J.Goddard and F.HKilbourne being assembled at Bennett. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddardRight, above: Ship’s registry for the A.J.Goddard. P.A.C.RegistryRecords(PublicArchivesofCanada)

Below: Albert Goddard had to contend with typhoid fever in addition to other challenges. Here he recovers in the home/office of the UYC. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 2 9

Was the design suitable?Forthemostpart,itwas.TheA.J. Goddardwasasmallboatwithashallowdraft,well-suitedfornavigatingtheshallowupperYukon.Inaddition,itwasmadeupofsmall

partsthatcouldbetransportedinsectionsoverahighmountainontrams,sledsandthebacksofmenandpackanimals.

Ideally,anyvesselusedfortrans-

portationwouldbeaslargeaspossible,whichwouldmaximizeprofit.Althoughlargerboats,somecloseto100feet,hadbeennavigatingontheupperYukon,theA.J. Goddard’sprimaryrequirementwasthatitbeeasilytransportableoverland.

Transportationlimitationslikelyrestrictedthetypesofmachineryused.Thelargermachineryandassemblieswouldhavebeenthemostdifficultthingstocarryoverthemountain,particularlytheboiler.Wisely,theownersoftheUpperYukonCompanychoseaBuckleyWaterTubeBoiler.Theinventoroftheboileremphasizedinthepatentthatitfeaturedacompactdesign,aswellaseasyassemblyandrepair.Itcouldbetransportedinmanysmallerpiecesandassembledontheothersideofthemountains.Modificationswererequired,however,foritssuccessfuluseontheYukonRiver.

Right: Underwater photos of the boiler (above) and Buckley firebox (below).Photos:LarryBonnett

Above: Pieces of the dismantled A.J.Goddard in San Francisco on the way to SteamerDirigo for shipment north to Alaska. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddard

3 0 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

ModificationsAlthoughthemodestsizeoftheA.J. GoddardhelpeditnavigatethenarrowYukonRiver,theUYCfoundthatthevesselwastoosmalltooperateeasily

onthelargersectionsoftheriver.Aftertheboat’sfirsttriptoDawson,theA.J. Goddardwasswitchedtoferryserviceonthelake.ItsusualrouteranfromWhitehorsetonofartherdown-

streamthanthefootoftheThirtyMileRiver.

experienceonthewaterresultedinothermodifications.Thephotographicrecordindicatesthatthewindlass

(see left)wasnotaddeduntilafterthetriptoDawson,possiblybecausethecrewdidnotneeditduringthefirsttripdownriverandthecompanydidn’twanttoexpendtheefforttohaulitoverthemountains.

Othermodificationsincludetheadditionofthebowrailandanewhigherpilothousewithwindows,

likelytoprotecttheopenboilerdoorandthepilotfromspraywhileonLakeLabergeinstorms(see below).Theroofwasextendedaswell,providingextraseatingforthosewhowantedtositawayfromthecommotionondeck.Atalltowpostlocatedamidshipsmayhavebeenremovedlaterinthevessel’scareer.

Left: Early pilothouse, circa spring 1898; right: later pilothouse, July 1898.Left:CandyWaugamanColl.,KLGO,UofAlaska;Right:YA,DawsonKlondikeHewittfonds,82/255#8

Windlass. Photo:LarryBonnett

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 3 1

ArtifactsMorethanonehundredartifactswerecataloguedaroundthewrecksite.Theyprovideafascinatingglimpseintolifeaboardthesteamboatatthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury.ThemenwhofledtheA.J. Goddardwhenitsankdidnothavetimetosavemuch,ifanything.

Therearethreegeneralcategoriesofartifactsonandaroundtheship.Cookingpots,enamel-ware,bottles,andcupsarescatteredintheimmediatevicinityofthevessel,andthesmallgalleystoveremainsonthedeck.

Thereisalsoabroadvarietyofwood-andmetal-workingtools,includingacarpenter’smallet,anvil,smallblacksmith’sforge,andotherhandtoolsrequiredtomaintainandrepairasmallsternwheelsteamboat.

Finally,therearethepersonaleffectsofthecrew,includingsmallbitsofclothingandthreeshoes,fullbottlesofinkandvanilla,andapocketmagnifyingglass.

WhenengineerJuliusStockfeldfledthesinkingship,hethrewoffhisshoesandthoseofthefireman.Perhapstheshoesfoundatthesitebelongedtothem.

Above: Axe handle and shovel. Photo:LarryBonnett

Underwater photo of an enamelware plate with an artifact inventory tag attached. The plate remains on the wreck site. Photo:LarryBonnett

Above: One of three shoes recovered from the wreck. All three have worn heels, so they likely belonged to the men on board.GovernmentofYukon

3 2 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

Life on boardManyoftheA.J. Goddard’sartifactsarewhatonewouldexpecttofindonasmallworkingvesselinthemiddleofthewilderness.OneofthemoresurprisingfindswasaBerlinergramophoneinawoodencase.Whendiversfoundit,theyinitiallythoughtitwasatypeofchronometerorcompass.WayneLusardiidentifieditassomekindofplayer,butnoonebelievedhimuntilheretrievedone

ofthethreerecordsalsoatthesite.earlyBerlinergramophonerecordshadrecordinginformationstampeddirectlyintothehardrubber.Cleaningrevealedtherecordstobe“MaOnliestOne,”“RendezVousWaltz”and“TheharpthatoncethroughTara’sHalls.”

Musicwasundeniablyimportantduringthegoldrush,andthecrewoftheA.J. Goddardwaswillingtocareforabulkyandunwieldygramophoneinordertobeabletohearmusic.Infact,therecordcontainingthesong“MaOnliestOne,”writtenbytheAmericanvaudevillianFayTempleton,wasstillontheturntablewhentheplayerwasfound.

ThegramophonewasavailablefromtheCanadiandistributorfor15dollars,lessexpensivethanother

modelsinSears,andcamewiththreerecords.Perhapsthecrewmemberwhoownedthegrama-phonetookadvantageoftheoffer.TherecordsandthegramaphonearecurrentlyundergoingtreatmentattheCanadianConservationInstituteinOttawafordisplayattheYukonTransportationMuseuminWhitehorse.

Left: Berliner Gramophone advertisement.www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gramophone/028011-3005-e.html

Above: Sheet music, 1896, for “Ma Onliest One.” NewYorkPublicLibrary

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 3 3

Outfitting the vesselThemachineryandartifactsfoundonboardtellastoryabouthowtheboatwasoutfitted.AlthoughthehullwasbuiltinCalifornia,makers’marksindicatethatAlbertGoddardusedavarietyofsourcestoequipthevessel.

ThesteamfixturescamefromallovertheUnitedStates:Seattle,Boston,Rochester,NewYorkandCincinnati.Whileitispossiblethatthesepartswereorderednewfromtheiroriginalmanufacturer,theUYC—initsrushtoreachtheKlondike—wouldlikelyhavepurchasedthemusedandcobbledthemtogethertoquicklyoutfittheA.J. Goddard,orfoundnewpartsfromvariousdealersinSeattle.

Someoftheotherartifacts,suchastheforgeandothertools,canbefoundinthe1897yearlycatalogueofSears,RoebuckandCompany.

Presumablytheywerealsoavailablefromothercatalogues.IftheywereobtainedaftertheshipreachedtheKlondike,theyprobablycamefromoneofthesecatalogues.

TheitemscouldhavebeenpurchasedinSeattle,althoughthecrewwouldhavelimitedwhattheycarriedoverthemountains.Thehodgepodgecollectionofdishwaresuggeststhatpieceswerecollectedovertheyearsorthatthecrewmembersownedtheirownsets.

L–R: Steam gauge; water pitcher (see also photo, page 34); ship’s forge and cookstove. Photos:LarryBonnett

3 4 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

More than utilitarianTherewerefewtownsalongtheYukonRiverandthousandsofmilesbetweentheYukonandoutsideworld.ThecrewoftheA.J. Goddardhadtobeselfsufficient.Thisisreflectedbythetoolsandforgefoundaboardthevessel.

Sinceonlyaplankroofandcanvascurtainsseparatedthecrewandpassengersfromtheelements,lifeonthesmallopenshipduringbadweathermusthavebeenhard.Becauseofthis,someoftheluxuryitemsfoundatthewreckcameasasurprise.Althoughmanyofthelargerwesternriversteamboatswereknown

fortheirluxuriousaccommodations,mostofthesternwheelersoftheKlondikewerefarmoreutilitarian.

Thevanillasuggeststhatthemenuwasnotasbasicanduneventfulasmightbeexpected.Musicmighthavesoundedalongtheriveronquietnights,hand-cranked

fromthecherishedgramophone.Ifthousandsofmilesofocean,riverandmountainsdidn’tstopfreshgrapes,cigarsandlemonadefromreachingDawsonCityduringthegoldrush,perhapsit’snotunusualtofindsuchluxuriesonboardthesmallestandmostutilitarianmemberoftheYukonRiversteamboatfleet.

Water pitcher (see page 33), documented in the field before being returned to the wreck site. Photo:GovernmentofYukon

First Avenue, Dawson City, 1898.YA,VancouverPublicLibrarycoll.#2092

A S T e R N W H e e L e R F R O M T H e D AY S O F T H e K L O N D I K e G O L D R U S H 3 5

Conclusion DuringtheKlondikeGoldRush,hundredsofrafts,canoes,bargesandsteamboatswerebuiltorbroughtintotheYukon.TheA.J. Goddardwasoneofthesevessels.Mostofthe266sternwheelersthatoperatedontheYukonRiverwerelargemulti-deckedwoodenvessels.

TheA.J. Goddardistheonlyexamplefoundofoneofthesmallersteamboats;oftheKlondikesternwheelersstillscatteredalongtheriver,itisthebestpreservedinitsoriginalform.

ThevesselwasnotideallysuitedforthelargersectionsoftheYukonRiver,butitwasfastandwasconstructedwithingenuity.UnlikesomeofthethousandsofboatsthatsetoutfortheYukoninthespringof1898,itmadeittoDawsonintimeforthegoldrush.ThelittlesternwheelerwentontohaveashortbutsuccessfulcareeronLakeLaberge.

TheintactstateofthewreckoftheA.J. Goddardanditscargomakesitatangiblelinktothepast.This,combinedwithdetailsaboutAlbertandClara

Goddard,providesaglimpseofthelifeofoneoftheYukon’ssmallsternwheelers.Afloatforlessthanfouryears,theA.J. GoddardtellsastorythatconveystheinventivenessandperseveranceagainstterribleoddsthatcharacterizedtheKlondikeGoldRush.

In2010,inrecognitionoftheimportanceoftheA.J. Goddardtotheearlytransporta-tionhistoryoftheYukonandthesignificanceofitsintactstateofpreservation,thevesselwasdesignatedasaYukonHistoricSite.Photo:LarryBonnett

The A.J.Goddardnext to larger boats at Dawson, 1898. YA,VancouverPublicLibrarycollection#2079

3 6 T H e W R e C K O F T H e A . J . G O D D A R D

AcknowledgementsThisprojectwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthesupportandcollaborationofalargenumberoforganizationsandpeople.TheInstituteofNauticalArchaeology,YukonTransportationMuseumandtheGovernmentoftheYukonhaveprovidedfunds,in-kindcontributionsandcollaboration.

SupportforthispublicationwasprovidedbyRuthGotthardt;FayGoddard;LarryBonnett;GlennIceton;theDeckerfamily;YukonArchives;DonReid;DanVerhalle,ParksCanada;andKarlGurcke,KlondikeGoldRushNationalHistoricPark.

SupportforunderwaterarchaeologywasreceivedfromtheInstituteofNauticalArchaeology,theNationalGeographicSocietyandtheWaittFoundation,theRoyalCanadianGeographicalSociety,ProMare,Spiegel-TV,theRPMNauticalFoundation,TexasA&MNauticalArchaeologyProgram,theTexasA&MCenterforMaritimeArchaeologyandConservation,BlueViewTechnologies,OceanGate,the

CanadianConservationInstituteandtheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration,aswellasprivatedonors.

WesincerelythanktheeldersandmembersofTa’anKwäch’änCouncilfortheirhospitalityandfortheiracceptanceofthisprojectintheirtraditionalterritory.WealsothankDrs.JamesP.DelgadoandKevinCrismanfortheirsteadfastsupport.

Left: Sign for White Star Line at Bennett, 1898. A.J.GoddardCollection,courtesyofFayGoddardAbove, right: Rob Ridgen next to paddlewheel. Photo:LarryBonnett

Tourism and CultureTourisme et Culture

TheA.J. Goddardwasoneofhundreds

ofrafts,canoes,bargesandsteamboats

thatwerebuiltorbroughtintothe

YukonduringtheKlondikeGoldRush.

Thelittlesternwheelerworkedforonly

fouryearsbeforeitsankinastormon

LakeLaberge.In2008,morethana

hundredyearslater,thewreckofthe

A.J. Goddard wasdiscovered.Theintact

stateofthevesselanditscargo

providesanextraordinary

linktothepast.