Red Onion Saloon and the Alaskan Gold Rush
If you were a prospector looking for your fortune in gold in the late 1890’s, a trip to the Klondike in Alaska was the place you went. Gold was discovered there by local miners on August 16, 1896, and when news reached Seattle and San Francisco the following year, it triggered a stampede of would-be prospectors. During the Klondike Gold Rush an estimated 100,000 prospectors traveled to this region of the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1896 and 1899.
While the vast majority of hopeful prospectors never became rich, enormous profits were made by those who took advantage of the remoteness of the area by setting up retail establishments that catered to the needs of the miners. It is reported that many spent lavishly at the saloons and brothels that sprung up during the period. One such establishment was the Red Onion Saloon and Brothel, which was built in 1897 and opened for business in 1898 at the height of the rush. Located on the main street in Skagway, Alaska, The Red Onion was strategically placed at one of the ports most favored as a route to the gold fields. Even though the Klondike rush ended abruptly in 1899 when gold was discovered in Nome, Alaska, the Klondike Rush had already earned its place in history.
In the years since the 1890s, the building had many uses. The upstairs brothel operated on the “doll system”, where dolls behind the bar let the patrons know if one of the ladies upstairs was occupied, or if they were available. You can read about how this system worked on their website: http://www.redonion1898.com.
Red Onion Today
Purchased by Jan Wrentmore in 1978, the Red Onion reopened as a saloon and restaurant on July 4th, 1980. This haunted historic building is as fun and lively today as it was back in 1898. Every day is a special event at the Red Onion, where they feature live bands, Corset shows, drag shows, theme nights, a local DJ, trivia nights and so much more. The brothel museum opened for guided tours around 1999. You might like to take the tour and perhaps catch a glimpse of one of the ladies, Lydia, who it seemed, never left the building.
The staff enhances the atmosphere by dressing in proper saloon attire (some of it from Recollections) and encouraging everyone to step back in time to the boom of the gold rush period. Cori Giacomazzi, who makes some of the staff costumes, discovered Recollections several years ago, and feels that costumes from Recollections help to add that “historic touch” to the saloon’s atmosphere.
Like many businesses in Alaska, The Red Onion is not open year round. They open in March for the Buckwheat Ski Classic and close for the season at the beginning of October. Tours of the upstairs brothel are available from May to the end of September at designated times throughout the day. So, if you are near Skagway from March through October, be sure to stop in, enjoy a meal, and share in the warmth and fun of this lively historic spot! The Red Onion is located at 205 Broadway, (P.O. Box 271) Skagway, AK 99840. Office phone: 907-983-2414, or visit them on the web at: http://www.redonion1898.com.
