Z-1584.1  _______________________________________________

                 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4430

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State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Representatives Shin, Chandler, Moak, Conway and Springer; by request of Secretary of State

Read first time 01/26/94.  Referred to Committee on Trade, Economic Development & Housing.

Directing the secretary of state to coordinate and form an advisory committee for Klondike gold rush centennial events.

    WHEREAS, On July 17, 1897, the Steamer Portland arrived in Seattle, Washington, loaded with two tons of gold, thus starting the race to the Klondike gold fields; and

    WHEREAS, Thousands of prospectors headed North to Skagway, Alaska, and the Klondike region of the Yukon Territory, using Seattle to outfit nearly seven thousand men and sixty-four vessels, heading Northward in the first sixty-eight days; and

    WHEREAS, Hundreds of Washington businesses shared their early beginnings as suppliers to these fortune seekers, and continue today to support the thousands of tourists that pass through Washington state on their way to the Province of British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, and the state of Alaska, bringing millions of dollars into the economy of Washington state; and

    WHEREAS, The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park maintains a Seattle unit that is actively engaged in Northwest tourism and tells the story of this remarkable human event that helped shape the early history of Washington state and the Pacific Northwest region; and

    WHEREAS, The state of Washington shares a large part of its history with the state of Alaska and the Canadian Province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory; and

    WHEREAS, Trade, commerce, and tourism in the state of Washington is a major part of our economic base;

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, that the Office of the Secretary of State be directed to coordinate the Centennial events commemorating the Klondike Gold Rush with the state of Alaska and the Canadian Province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Office of the Secretary of State be directed to appoint an advisory committee that includes, but is not limited to, representatives of the Division of Tourism, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the Washington State Historical Society, and other agencies so designated by the Governor to work in close cooperation with the National Park Service, the state of Alaska, and the Province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Washington state's centennial celebration of the Klondike Gold Rush will be held during the years of 1996, 1997, and 1998 in cooperation with celebrations in the state of Alaska, the Province of British Columbia, and the Yukon Territory.

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