Soapy and his gang ruled the town, until Frank Reid, the surveyor who had designed the neat layout of the town, shot him to death. A disgruntled miner, who had been robbed by the gang, wanted his money back. He threatened to tell the world about Skagway's lawlessness, unless his money was returned. It was the last straw for the town merchants. They could not afford the bad publicity. They planned to ambush Smith. Frank Reid and Soapy had a shoot out on July 1898. Smith was killed. Reid died 12 days later. Both are buried in the Gold Miner's Cemetery. Soapy's marker is made of wood. The town honored Reid with a fancy stone and built a stone fence around his grave.
The Yukon and White Pass railroad was completed near the end of the gold rush in 1899. It is considered a Civil Engineering Landmark, which ranks with the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty. From sea level at Skagway, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, on only 20 miles of track, climbs 2,885 feet to White Pass Summit. It is one of the steepest railroads in the world. Of its 110 miles of track, 20 miles are in Alaska, 32 in British Columbia and 58 miles in Yukon Territory. This engineering achievement was finished in the 26 months between May 28, 1898 and July 29, 1900. The railway reached Lake Bennett, eliminating the Chilkoot Trail from Dyea. Dyea became a ghost town. After the rush was over, Skagway's population dropped to only 500 residents. It remained, both as a port and as a terminus of the White Pass and Yukon Railway, which in 1900, connected the town to Whitehorse, YT. It is one of the most scenic railway routes in the world. WPYR closed for a short few years, then re-opened and today it carries many tourists on its rails.
Walking down Broadway, Skagway's one main street, takes you back to the days of the Gold rush. The sidewalks are wooden and the refurbished false-fronted buildings date back to that era. It is a pleasant town with friendly people. From the main street you can look up into the hills and see the painting of a giant watch on a cliff face. It is an advertisement from the Gold Rush era. Shopping for jewelry, curios, art and Alaskan crafts is very good here. Today, tourism is Skagway's main economic base.
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