Joseph Ladue (1854-1901), an early prospector, trader and entrepreneur, made his fortune not from gold but from land. With perfect timing he staked the townsite of Dawson City just as the Gold Rush was beginning. He also contributed indirectly to the famous Bonanza Creek discovery by grubstaking Robert:Henderson, the man who pointed the way.
Born in New York State, Ladue came over the Chilkoot Pass in 1882. He travelled down the Yukon River with 12 others to Jack McQuesten's post at Fort Reliance, where he spent the winter. While prospecting in the Sixtymile region, Ladue and several others may have been the first to experiment with a new mining technique ­
