Dyea, Alaska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dyea
Ghost town
The Dyea waterfront during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Dyea Location in Alaska
Country	United States
State	Alaska

Dyea (/daɪˈiː/ dye-EE) is a former town in the U.S. state of Alaska. Today, it's mostly abandoned, a ghost town. A few people still live in the valley. Dyea is located where the Taiya River meets the Taiya Inlet. This spot is on the south side of the Chilkoot Pass. It is within the area of the Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska.

Dyea: A Gold Rush Ghost Town

During the exciting Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890s, Dyea was a very busy place. Gold seekers arrived at its port by ship. From Dyea, they began their long journey to the gold fields. These gold fields were around Dawson City, Yukon, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) away.

The Path to Gold

The main route from Dyea was the Chilkoot Trail. This trail was a difficult path over the Coast Mountains. It had been used for a long time by the Tlingit people for trade. Many prospectors used this trail, hoping to find their fortune.

A famous person named Soapy Smith was known for controlling the nearby town of Skagway. He might have also had some control over Dyea during this time.

Why Dyea Became a Ghost Town

Dyea's port had shallow water, which made it hard for big ships. The nearby town of Skagway had a deep-water port. When the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad was built, it chose the White Pass Trail as its route. This trail started in Skagway. Because of this, Dyea was no longer needed and was soon abandoned.

How Dyea Got Its Name

The name Dyea was first used in 1886. This was when John J. Healy and Edgar Wilson opened a trading post there. Before that, only a small hunting and fishing cabin was at the spot. The name Dyea or Dei-yi likely came from the second part of "Jilḵoot Dei-yi," which meant "Chilkoot-owned Trail."

What You Can See Today

Today, Dyea is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Not much is left of the old town. You can see some old building foundations and pieces of wood and metal. There are also three cemeteries. One of these cemeteries holds the graves of many people who died on the same day in 1898. They were caught in a terrible avalanche on the gold rush trail.

You might also see some wildlife when you visit Dyea. Brown bears, black bears, and eagles are often spotted there. Brown bears especially like to feed in the Dyea inlets during salmon spawning season, which is usually in July and August.

Chilkoot Trail and Dyea Site is a special U.S. National Historic Landmark.

The Taiya River estuary and the site of Dyea at the start of the Chilkoot Trail (October 2005).

This one wall and section of fence is all that remains of the buildings of old Dyea today.

The graveyard containing victims of the 1898 avalanche.

Dyea's Population in the Past

Dyea appeared only once in the U.S. Census, in 1900. At that time, it was listed as an unincorporated village with 261 people. Since then, it has become part of the city of Skagway.