First woman over White Pass trail


On July 24, 1897 the Juneau Searchlight reported that a Mrs. Ed Lord claimed to be the first woman to climb the White Pass as she got off the Steamship Rustler. I believe that she was not married to Edward Eldridge Lord (born July 9, 1874) who traveled with his brother Joseph Lord (born July 31, 1864) of Hornitas, Mariposa County, California and maybe David S. Lord another brother. I think there was a mixup in the reporting and she was actually Clara Latchaw who was married to Joseph. They were part of a large family in Hornitas. Their father Samuel had come to California in the gold rush from England. So, despite the fact that they had two small children, they may have left them with family in California while they went to the Yukon.
Joseph’s obituary stated that he spent a year and a half in Alaska during the 1898 gold rush.

Edward died in 1957, Joseph in 1939, David in 1949 and Clara in 1960 – all in Fresno, California. Joseph and Clara are seen above.

Rootsweb; Yukon genealogy; familysearch; California death records; Juneau Searchlight