Sourdough Joe, Dawson City

Sourdough Joe's restaurant is located on Dawson City's first lot.

August 1896, just after the historic Bonanza creek gold strike, prospector Joe Ladue staked not a claim, but a whole town site.
Joe Ladue sold lots for only $5.00 in the winter of 1896, but by the next summer he was getting $8000.00 for them. Dawson City's population grew from 25 to 5000 in less than a year. Within 2 years, the population exploded to 40000, making it the biggest Western Canadian city.

In 1897, Joe Ladue's home was also Dawson City's first saloon. At the height of the Gold Rush, $5.00 in Dawson City got you a plate of beans and bread with stewed apples and a cup of coffee. A meal costing $2.50 in Dawson City cost only $0.15 in Seattle Washington. 8000 people left Dawson in 1899, when the Gold Rush ended. Joe went back to New York a rich man.
Prices are still a little inflated here as 2 orders with 2 pieces fish and chips with 2 coffees come to $33 and change. We do not think that just because it was Yukon King Salmon that the price was justified.