IntroductionWhitehorse is named after the nearby Yukon River Rapids because of the way the frothy water resembles the mane of a beautiful horse. Those rapids are also the reason why the city of Whitehorse was founded just over a century ago. The downtown and Riverdale subdivisions are located in a valley, which in turn provides an additional level of comfort against the extreme temperatures that occur in the area (Pinard, Jean-Paul, 2007). Whitehorse is the Capitol of the Yukon. With 26,418 residents (© Government of Yukon 2011), far more than any other Yukon community, the city supports the majority of the territory's economy. One of the city's most culturally and technologically important features is the hydroelectric dam. The dam was built in 1958 and allowed the city to grow much faster. The dam is also the burial place of why the area was settled and eventually settled into a city: The Whitehorse Rapids. History In 1897 the Klondike Gold Rush had just begun, and a mass of budding prospectors from the West Coast were making their way north to the gold fields near Dawson City. The most popular method of reaching the goldfields was to cross one of two paths, essentially over the coastal mountains. Once finished, the next phase involved using a raft to float down the Yukon River and eventually arrive in Dawson City. The infamous Whitehorse Rapids and Miles Canyon made this part of the trip much more difficult. Hundreds of people died along this stretch of the river (Winslow 1952, pg 132), until a trolley was built in 1898 to transport prospectors across the treacherous waters to the foot of the rapids where the Riverdale subdivision now resides (Berton 2001, p. ...... middle of the sheet ...... 10 November 2011). Yukon Bureau of Statistics. Yukon Government. Retrieved November 11, 2011, from http://www.eco.gov.yk.ca/stats/Lundberg, M. (2011, November 21). The History of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Explore the North. Retrieved November 17, 2011, from http://www.explorenorth.com/yukon/whitehorse-history.htmlPinard, Jean-Paul (January 23, 2007). “Wind Climate of the Whitehorse Area.” ARCTIC 60(3): 227–237. United States and Canada: Elements of Wartime Collaboration. (January 2, 2003). US Army Military History Center. Retrieved November 24, 2011, from http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Framework/ch15.htmWebber, B. (2004, September). Land claims agreements: a summary. Kwanlin Dün First Nations. Retrieved November 24, 2011, from http://www.kwanlindun.com/Winslow, Kathryn (1952). Great Pan-Out: The Klondike Story. Phoenix House Ltd. OCLC 465425340