The population of Skagway is currently about 14,000, with over half of the city's residents being Native Americans. The town's first permanent structure was a log cabin built by William Moore in 1867. His son, Ben, built a 16-foot-by-14-foot wood frame house next to the cabin. The town quickly began to grow, and in 1898, Skagway was described as "little better than hell on earth."
In May 1898, the White Pass & Yukon Route company began laying railroad tracks to the town. The construction of the depot was completed between September and December of that year. The railroad used packing crates as interior walls and sawdust as insulation. This method of construction was used to keep the town's population low, but also sent a message that the area was stable and well-planned. The White Pass & Yukon Route company also built a grand general office building next to the depot.
The town has a lot to offer tourists. It is home to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. During the summer, the town is home to the White Pass and Yukon Route, which ships copper ore from the interior. If you're visiting Skagway for the first time, you'll be glad you made the effort to visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.