Dead Horse Soup: Frank Barker's Klondike Gold Rush

Frank Barker first learned about the rush to the Klondike gold fields through his local Keene, New Hampshire newspapers. For months, begining on July 17, 1897, the almost daisly refrences to the Klondike promoted a story that anyone with the right fortitude and determination could find gold. As a young working class man seeking adventure and wealth, this was an opportunity he was not going to pass up. For seven months, Barker meticulously planned his expedition — assembling a team of three partners, organizing food, tools, and equipment, arranging transportation and raising the funds needed to make the journey possible. In February of 1898, his dream became reality as he led his partners on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to the Klondike. "Dead Horse Soup" brings Barker's story to life through his own words — the letters he wrote home from the trail — and the photographs he captured along the way. Together, they reveal both the excitement and the brutal hardships of a two-year quest for gold in one of history's most captivating chapters.