The Land of Nome

Eighteen thousand fortune seekers bound for Alaska in 1900 give Lanier McKee a crowded cast for his account of the Cape Nome gold rush. Drawing on his diary, he describes preparing for the venture with his brother, carrying provisions, surveying equipment and a law library aboard the C. D. Lane. Miners, gamblers, performers and would-be professionals share the ship, each approaching the Bering Sea goldfields with different hopes and resources.

Personal observation gives way to a close account of the legal struggle over the mines. McKee examines the roles of Alexander McKenzie and Judge Noyes, following disputes from remote Nome to the federal appeals court in San Francisco. The combination of travel narrative, character sketches and court proceedings makes this useful reading for anyone interested in how a sudden rush for wealth tested public authority. Its attention to mining law and everyday preparation adds practical detail to the broader history of Alaska.