Henderson the Racist

Robert Henderson

Henderson will be forever known as a prime example of the adage “what goes around comes around.” A Canadian by birth, Henderson spent years in the American West prospecting for gold. Unsuccessful, as so many had been, he traveled north in 1894 to the Yukon to begin anew.

He hit a few promising strikes, and moved north along unnamed streams feeding the Klondike River. On one stream in the summer of 1896, he thought he hit a big one. Excited, Henderson named the stream Gold Creek and drifted downriver to stock up on supplies. On that trip, he ran across the trio of George Carmack, Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie. Henderson stopped for a bit, and told them about Gold Creek. Carmack thanked him for the information and said they would head up and stake claims. Henderson, long known for racist feelings, became adamant that the two natives were not welcome near his claim. He continued downriver shortly after, and Carmack, Jim and Charlie went their own way, avoiding Gold Creek.

A short time later, Henderson would be presented with one last fateful chance to show some kindness to Carmack, Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie. The trio with food and tobacco for Carmack-again the natives were unwelcome. The three men left in anger, and climbed a ridge to look for game animals.

That same day, Carmack, Jim and Charlie discovered more gold than any other human beings in history. They staked claims and went into town to register. They shared their news with many friends and strangers, and soon all of the Bonanza Creek area claimed. Meanwhile, Henderson had settled in at his Gold Creek claim, and spent weeks alone trying to make a go of it. Emerging one day, he heard of the big strike from several miners. Carmack had discovered the Klondike Strike less than a mile from Henderson’s claim, but never shared the news.

Henderson never abandoned his racist attitudes and became bitter toward Carmack for “leaving him out.” He kept looking for gold, prospecting all over the Yukon and Alaska-unsuccessfully. He missed the big strike in Nome in 1898, and Felix Pedro’s strike near Fairbanks, Alaska in 1902. Henderson died in the North in the 1930’s, still searching for the strike that would overshadow Carmack’s.