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Good Time Girls
of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush
Lael Morgan
Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Illustrated
Softbound: 352 pages
Publisher: Epicenter Press
November 1999
At the turn of the century, tens of thousands of American men migrated to Alaska to seek their share of
millions of dollars in gold that was being mined in remote, subarctic camps. The eyes of the world turned
to these voyagers who made fortunes overnight and sometimes lost them just as quickly, but it's taken nearly
100 years later to tell another side of the story-that of the "good time girls" who kept company with these
men.
We're talking about the women of the gold rush demimonde, "that half world of prostitutes, dance hall girls
and entertainers who lived on the outskirts of respectable society," as author Lael Morgan describes them.
Overall, they were a fiercely independent lot, defying post-Victorian society to travel north and endure
incredible hardship, and sometimes heartbreak, as they, too, sought their fortunes.
Among the many fascinating women whose stories are meticulously told by Morgan are "Dutch Kate" Wilson,
the first good time girl to blaze a trail across the Yukon; femme fatales like Rose
Blumkin, Cad Wilson and "French Marie" Larose, who auctioned herself off for marriage to the highest bidder;
Georgia Lee, who became one of the wealthiest women in Alaska; "Klondike" Kate Rockwell, a violet-eyed
chanteuse who wowed audiences with her legendary "Flame Dance;" and the outrageous Edith Neile, a.k.a.
the "Oregon Mare."
It was a time and place where anything was possible, and many of these women became
prominent citizens, wealthy property and business owners, and society wives, such as one former
prostitute who married the mayor of Fairbanks and hosted President Warren G. Harding when he came
through town.
Morgan tells these stories with humor and empathy, and fully documents details of the era,
especially with a wonderful collection of rare photographs. An associate professor of journalism at the
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, she has researched the history of the Far North for more than 30 years,
and the depth of her work is reflected in this well-crafted and enormously entertaining saga of a
little-known till now, but important piece of the gold rush story.
Book has been gently read, the pages are clean and bright with light wear to it's cover.
Order by ITEM #BKS-18-07
PRICE: $17.95
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