Group outside Skagway City Hall, possibly a meeting about gangster Soapy Smith, ca. 1898

Jeff Smith, nicknamed Soapy, was one of Skagway's most notorious con men. In 1898, he and his gang started to take advantage of those whose mind was on the gold rush. Their activities ranged from sending fake telegrams for gold seekers to robbery and murder. Skagway's business owners realized that their town was getting a bad reputation. Smith was killed in a shoot out in 1898, and his killer became a town celebrity. This photo, probably taken in 1898, shows a group of men gathered outside the Skagway City Hall. The message scratched on the negative, "Soapy nix. It's the people", suggests that the meeting concerns con man Soapy Smith. Written on photo: Soapy nix. It's the people Original photograph: ca. 1898. Copied after 1902 by Webster & Stevens *Subjects (LCTGM): Gold rushes; Crowds; City & town halls *People: Smith, Jeff (Soapy)

Date

c. 1898

Photographer / author

Webster & Stevens

Archive

Wikimedia Commons

Type

photograph

Original size

700 × 502 pixels

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