Joseph Ladue

Joseph Francis Ladue (July 28, 1855 – June 27, 1900) was a prospector, businessman and founder of the Dawson City, Yukon.

Joseph Francis Ladue was born in Schuyler Falls, New York. His mother died when he was only 7 years old, and his father died in 1874. Upon his father's death, 19-year-old Joe headed West. He worked in a gold mine as a general labourer, engineer, foreman and superintendent. He stuck with that and went prospecting through Arizona and New Mexico. He did not strike it rich and in 1882 he crossed the Chilkoot Pass into the interior of the Yukon. He was prospecting and trading there a couple of years.

In August 1896, a few days after discovery of gold on Klondike, he staked 250 acres of bloggy flats at the mouth of the Klondike River to Yukon River as a townsite. In January 1897 he named a new town Dawson after Canadian geologist George Mercer Dawson. In July, 1897 about 5000 people lived there. Joe Ladue could sell town lots from $800 to $8000 and he could leave Dawson rich in that year.

He returned to his home town and in December 1897 he married Anna "Kitty" Mason. He came from Yukon rich, but unfortunatelly in poor health. He died at Schuyler Falls on June 27, 1900.