The Arctic Brotherhood was born February 26, 1899, on a passenger ship on its way from Seattle to Skagway. The captain of the ship, the City of Seattle, was a jovial man named William Anderson Connell who enjoyed the social aspects of his job.
On this particular trip the fraternal spirit seemed to prevail more than usual and it was Captain Connell who suggested the formation of a great social brotherhood of the North. It was felt that a ΓÇÿNorthern SpiritΓÇÖ existed between men who lived north of the 53rd parallel. So -- the Arctic Brotherhood was formed. Its avowed purpose was to unite those men travelling from all parts of the globe to the goldfields of the Klondike.
ΓÇ£No Boundary Line HereΓÇ¥ became the BrotherhoodΓÇÖs motto and one of its primary principles. This broad outlook on life, illustrated by the co-operation and camaraderie shown by the Alaska and Yukon members, was what made the Arctic Brotherhood a popular social organization.
The Dawson City building now known as Diamond Tooth Gertie's was originally constructed in 1901 and used as the Arctic Brotherhood Hall. In its heyday the Arctic Brotherhood was involved in many community activities, from promoting entertainment to caring for brothers in need. It remained active as an organization until the early 1920s.
