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In 1896, at a site by the Klondike River that had been used by natives as a summer fishing camp, gold was found. Within a couple of years, as word had spread throughout North America, Dawson City was a city of 40,000. Determined to make their fortunes, people flooded into the gold rush town - creating a demand for everything from grand concert and opera halls to wild saloons and brothels. Instant prosperity brought steam heat, running water and telephone service to a remote part of the north that had never seen modern conveniences. By 1899, the rush was over. As quickly as it had grown, Dawson City was reduced to a town of less than 1,000 people by 1902. Almost a century later, the population has only doubled. But the evidence of those times is still strong. Though gold mining remains a critical industry, Dawson welcomes streams of tourists each summer eager to see the far north and experience the tales of Jack London and Robert Service. Diamond Tooth Gerties' gambling and can-can hall offers a glimpse each summer at wilder times. The local museum and a pair of historic sites provide a deeper look at the gold rush. Temperatures hit incomprehensibly low numbers in this area, but it doesn't stop hardy residents from enjoying the north. Each year, there's a massed snowmobile trek into Alaska and interest is high in the annual Yukon Quest sled dog race.