The Moore Cabin is the oldest structure in Skagway. It was built by Captain William Moore and his son in 1887-88. Moore was 65 years old when he arrived. He had followed gold rushes all his life, and settled here to pursue one more chance at a fortune. When the big rush came, his land was overrun by a flood of gold seekers. But he prospered because he owned a dock, a ware house and a sawmill. He stayed here until 1906, long enough to see his homestead blossom into a major port and railroad terminal. Captain Moore's son, Ben, built the main house to the right of the old cabin.
National Park Service archaeologists have discovered that the large lawn between the Moore Cabin and the Goldberg Cigar Store was the beginning of the White Pass Trail, the famous "Dead Horse Trail" used by so many stampeders. This spot is half a mile from the bay today, but 100 years ago, occasional high tides reached here. The geological process of "glacial rebound" has caused Skagway to rise from the ocean about one inch each year.
