Riverboats and Questions

For quite a while this picture has perplexed all the family members.  First, we thought it must be Fort Benton.  After all, my grandma’s twins Gene and Geneva Robertson were born at the Fort Benton Hospital so we know someone in the family was there for a while.  

Next, we wondered if this picture was of the ferry that ran on the Yellowstone River from Pompey’s Pillar to Billings.  This was logical since Grandma and Grandpa had a place in Pompey’s Pillar for a while.  But the river and the hills didn’t look quite right.

Recently, after conversing with knowledgeable historians who are also stars at internet research, the mystery might be solved. 

It appears likely that this is a picture of ferries on the Yukon River.  These Ferries took prospectors up the river to Dawson City during the gold rush.  Grandpa went to Dawson City and the Yukon and tried his luck.  For us, it’s fabulous that he liked to buy pictures of the times.  Piece by piece, the family history is coming together.