Jonathan "John" Kniffen

Born 1876 Woodhouse Twp., Norfolk Co., Ontario, Canada
Died 1944 Oakland, Alameda, California, USA

Jonathan was born in Woodhouse Township, Norfolk County, Ontario and, when very young, moved with his family to their new farm just outside of Edys Mills, Dawn Township, Ontario, Canada where they had to clear the land in order to farm it. From there he appears to have been inspired, along with thousands of others, to seek his fortune in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898.


Grand Forks c.1898. Said to be the second largest
town in the Yukon during the gold rush.

He first appears in the Yukon, at Grand Forks, in a mining claim dated 31 July, 1901 and last appears in the Yukon, in Polks Gazetteer and Directory of 1915-1916, in Dawson City living in the Hotel Northern.


Hotel Northern, Front St., Dawson City, Yukon Territory looking north c.1902.

During a portion of these years he was accompanied by his brother William "Willy" Perry Kniffen and later entered into a general merchandising and auctioneering business with two partners, one of whom appears to have been a brother-in-law.

Yukon Government - Index of Original Locators, Placer claims:

Kniffen, Jonathan Jul. 31, 1901 #86592 Grand Forks
Kniffen, Jonathan Aug. 19, 1902 #57039 Cr. 53 Boucher
Kniffen, Jonathan Jun. 23, 1903 #67085 H.S.L.L. L1/2 #9 Cariboo Gulch
Kniffen, Jonathan Jun. 27, 1904 #73352 Creek L1/2 #3 Mint Gulch
Kniffen, Jonathan Jun. 27, 1904 #73353 Hill R L #39 + 40 ab Bonanza
Kniffen, Jonathan Apr. 22, 1904 #73517 Bench 4 @ Opp S1/2 R.L. #269 bel L and Dominion
Kniffen, Jonathan Feb. 07, 1906 #58150 Creek #367 Barker
Kniffen, Jonathan Jun. 14, 1907 #93560 Cr #167 Toronto
Kniffen, Jonathan Aug. 14, 1914 #28750 Hill 4 L.L. Eldorado Ck.

Boucher Creek - trib. of Sixtymile - 30 miles above mouth. 3 miles below mouth Miller
Cariboo Gulch - trib. of Dominion - 28 mi. below Upper Discovery
Mint Creek - trib. of Hunker - 2 miles above Discovery
Bonanza Creek - trib. of Klondike -
Barker Creek - trib. of Stewart - 23 miles above mouth
Toronto Creek - trib. of Quartz - 1 mile above mouth #43 below A Macks
Eldorado Creek - trib. of Bonanza - 6-7 miles above Discovery


Gold Mining on Bonanza Creek

In May of 1886 Peter Nelson, Dan Sprague, Joe Ladue, and John Nelson prospected various creeks emptying into the Klondike but did not consider
the area of particular significance, "as we could make all the way from $50 to $100 a day on the Stewart River bars, if we caught low water."

{Source: David Wharton, "The Alaska Gold Rush" (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1972), 77-80}

Yukon Government: Creek Book - Boucher Creek - Ref. Gov 165:

No. of Assignmt Cert. No. of Instrument Date of Instrument Nature of Instrument Assignor Assignee Consideration Remarks
/
57039
12 Aug 1902
Grant
Crown
Jonathan Kniffen
$15.00
*
/
31174
10 Oct 1902
Bill of sale
J. Kniffen
John Nelson
$150.00
whole

Placermining Applications Vol 1

Name
Claim No.
Microfilm
Year Recorded
KNIFFIN, J
57039, 58150
15
1901-1902
KNIFFEN, J
73352, 73353, 73517
17
1904-1906
KNIFFEN, J
93560
18
1906-1907
KNIFFEN, J
95099
19
1907
KNIFFEN, J
28750
22
1913-1914

Yukon Government - Index of Free Miners Certificates:

Cert. #100137 Jul. 13, 1904 Jonathan Kniffen. Place of issue Dawson


Front Street, Dawson City, Yukon Territory looking south c.1900.

Jonathan and partners operated their business at the south end of Front Street near
Harper Street. This location remains vacant and overgrown today (2011).

Ferguson's Directory and Gazetteer 1901:

Albert E. London - Merchant 5th St. S. opposite bridge (Dawson)
William G. Cheney - Auctioneer (Dawson)

(Jonathan's business partners)

Polks Gazetteer 1903 directory

Name Occupation Organization
CHENEY WM. .......... Cheney, Kniffen & London
CHENEY WM. G. ..... Manager ..... Kniffen & London, Gen. Merchandise
CHENEY, KNIFFEN & LONDON ..... Wm. Cheney; Jonathan Kniffen; Albert E. London ..... Gen. Merchandise
CHENEY, KNIFFEN & LONDON .......... Wm. G. Cheney, Gen. Merchandise
KNIFFEN JONATHAN .......... Cheney, Kniffen & London
LONDON ALBERT E. .......... Cheney, Kniffen & London


The 1911 Yukon Census shows Jonathan located near Hunker Creek

Joanathan next appears near Valdez, Alaska, USA where he spent some time working for the Kennecott Copper Corporation at the Beatson Bonanza Copper Mine on LaTouche Island in Prince William Sound. Although the Polks Directory shows him still in Dawson City in 1915-1916 the U.S. Immigration records show him arriving at Ketchikan, Alaska on board the steamer Princess May on 31 March, 1914. Note that his recorded age is incorrect. He is shown as approximately four years younger than he really was. We don't know when Jonathan left Alaska but the mine closed in 1930.


U.S.A. Immigration Record Card

S.S. Princess May

The Beatson Copper Mine at LaTouche, Alaska c.1910


U.S.A. Registration Card dated December 7, 1918 in Valdez, Alaska

Following his time in Alaska Jonathan is said to have returned to Ontario where he married before moving to Oakland, California where he is on record as being employed by the Downtown Merchants Parking Association and living near his sister Rose. This is where he stayed for the rest of his life.


U.S.A. Registration Card showing Jonathan and his sister Rose c.1941


Easton Building, Finished 1905


Music: Klondike Rag c.1908