Committee of 101 – Protecting Skagway, Alaska
The year is 1898. The Klondike Gold Rush is in full swing, and the promise of fortune draws thousands to the rugged, untamed landscapes of Alaska. Among the boomtowns that sprang up to cater to the influx of prospectors, Skagway emerged as a crucial gateway, a bustling port where stampeders disembarked and prepared for the arduous journey inland. However, alongside the dreams of striking it rich, Skagway also attracted a darker element – opportunists eager to exploit the vulnerable and the naive. It was in this volatile environment that the Committee of 101 was formed, a vigilante group determined to protect their burgeoning community from the clutches of corruption and lawlessness.
Skagway’s early history is inextricably linked to the figure of Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, a notorious con man who had carved out a reputation as the "King of the Frontier Con Men" across the American West. Having been effectively chased out of Denver, Colorado, Soapy recognized the Klondike Gold Rush as a golden opportunity. In 1897, he arrived in Skagway, bringing with him a gang of rogues, thieves, and grifters, all ready to capitalize on the chaos and desperation of the gold rush. His plan was simple: establish a firm grip on the town through deceit, intimidation, and outright theft.
Soapy’s base of operations became Jeff Smith’s Parlor, a saloon that quickly transformed into the unofficial center of Skagway. While the town did have an official city hall, it was Soapy’s Parlor that held the real power. Here, scams flourished, rigged games were commonplace, and unsuspecting prospectors were routinely fleeced of their hard-earned savings. Soapy’s influence extended beyond mere petty crime; he manipulated local politics, controlled the flow of information, and generally created an atmosphere of fear and corruption. His heavy drinking and volatile temper further exacerbated the situation, pushing the town closer to the brink of anarchy. The citizens of Skagway were increasingly aware of the dire situation at hand. It was time to take action.
After about nine months of Soapy’s domination, a group of Skagway citizens had finally reached their limit. These concerned residents decided to band together and form the Committee of 101, a vigilante group with the express purpose of driving Smith and his gang out of town. They represented a diverse cross-section of Skagway society – honest businessmen, hardworking laborers, and determined individuals who were unwilling to stand by and watch their community be destroyed by Soapy’s criminal enterprise. The Committee of 101 believed that the legal system was inadequate to deal with the pervasive corruption and that drastic measures were necessary to restore order.
Soapy, however, was not one to back down easily. He responded to the formation of the Committee of 101 with his own counter-organization, the "Committee of 303." This group, allegedly composed of over 300 members (a likely exaggeration), was designed to intimidate the vigilantes and maintain Soapy’s control over Skagway. The threat of violence and the sheer numerical advantage of Soapy’s forces initially proved effective, temporarily silencing the Committee of 101 and allowing Soapy to continue his reign of terror.
The turning point came with the brazen theft of $2,600 in gold from a Klondike miner. The miner lost the money in a rigged Three-card Monte game orchestrated by Soapy’s gang. This act of blatant injustice reignited the resolve of the Committee of 101. They demanded that Soapy return the stolen gold, but he refused, claiming that the miner had lost the money "fairly" in a legitimate game. This refusal was the spark that ignited the powder keg, leading to a final, decisive confrontation.
On the evening of July 8, 1898, the Committee of 101 organized a meeting to discuss their next course of action. News of the meeting reached Soapy, who, armed with a Winchester rifle, decided to attend and disrupt the proceedings. Arriving at the meeting location, he was confronted by a group of guards, including a man named Frank Reid, who barred his entrance. An argument ensued, quickly escalating into a violent shootout. When the smoke cleared, both Soapy Smith and Frank Reid lay mortally wounded.
The death of Soapy Smith marked the end of his reign of terror in Skagway and the culmination of the Committee of 101‘s efforts to protect their community. While the vigilante group disbanded soon after, their actions had a lasting impact on the town’s history. Frank Reid, who died a hero’s death defending Skagway, is still remembered today as a symbol of courage and integrity. The events surrounding the Committee of 101 serve as a reminder of the challenges faced by early frontier communities and the extraordinary measures taken to establish law and order in the face of overwhelming adversity. Skagway was saved by the actions of the Committee of 101, ensuring a future of justice and order.