Klondike Kate
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Kathleen Eloise Rockwell (October 4, 1873/1876/1880 (year of birth disputed) – February 21, 1957), known as "Klondike Kate" and later known as Kate Rockwell Warner Matson Van Duren, was an American dancer and
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
star during the Klondike Gold Rush, where she met
Alexander Pantages Alexander Pantages (, ''Periklis Alexandros Padazis''; 1867 – February 17, 1936) was a Greek American vaudeville impresario and early film producer, motion picture producer. He created a large and powerful circuit of theatres across the Weste ...
who later became a very successful vaudeville/motion picture mogul. She garnered notoriety for her flirtatious dancing and ability to keep hard-working miners happy if not inebriated. Before her death she appeared on the television show ''
You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radioHollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
starlets in the 1940s.


Biography

Rockwell was born in
Junction City, Kansas Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,932. Fort Riley, a major United States Army, U.S. ...
, according to her death certificate, and lived in
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
for a while but grew up in
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
. Her stepfather had stature in the community and the family lived in a large mansion. However, economic failure created tension in the family, and this lack of home stability echoed throughout Rockwell's sometimes stormy life. She was known for her independent spirit, often impersonating boys and playing with them rather than with girls. Her parents sent the rebellious teenager to
boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...
, but Rockwell was expelled. She had little interest in education and spent more time thinking of ways to flout the rules. In the 1890s, after divorcing her second husband, Rockwell's mother moved with her to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Here the younger Rockwell made an unsuccessful attempt at show business. She left for greener pastures and arrived in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
in 1899. The
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
held a tight leash on prospective miners and various hangers-on trying to get to the
Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...
and find fortunes in gold. Refused entry by a Mountie, she is reputed to have donned a boy's outfit and jumped on a boat headed for the Yukon. First working as a tap-dancer in
Whitehorse Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
, Rockwell found her stride in
Dawson City Dawson City is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest municipality in Yukon. History Prior t ...
as a member of the Savoy Theatrical Company. Her act was very popular with the miners, and she was dubbed " Klondike Kate" as a result. It was in Dawson that she met
Alexander Pantages Alexander Pantages (, ''Periklis Alexandros Padazis''; 1867 – February 17, 1936) was a Greek American vaudeville impresario and early film producer, motion picture producer. He created a large and powerful circuit of theatres across the Weste ...
, in autumn 1900, after leaving the Savoy troupe and joining the stock company at the Orpheum Theatre, which Pantages managed. The intense love affair between Pantages and Rockwell became the stuff of legend in the Yukon, although streaks of jealousy ensured that they found more stability in their professional lives than in their personal ones. They were not above swindling unsuspecting miners, and this dubious quality eventually infected their own relationship. She later accused him of reneging on a promise to marry her as well as attempting to cheat her of her money. Pantages surprised Rockwell by secretly marrying another woman, and telling her about it four days later in a letter. In 1902, the Klondike Gold Rush was already dying out and Rockwell headed south, first to
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, where she set up a store-front movie theater, and eventually to
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, where she homesteaded 320 acres of land. After performing for years on stage even into her 40s, Kate Rockwell headed to
Brothers, Oregon Brothers is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County, Oregon, United States on U.S. Route 20 (Oregon), U.S. Route 20. It is part of the Bend, Oregon metropolitan statistical area. It lies at ...
, with $3,500 in cash and $3,000 worth of jewelry, and trunks filled with dresses, gowns and hats. She was one of a number of women who claimed their land by living on the claim for the required five years. This was shortly after women had earned the right to vote in Oregon. She was known to have worked the land, and to work in her garden in vaudeville gowns and dance slippers. While waiting out the five years to earn the title to the land, Rockwell fell in love with and married a cowboy named Floyd Warner. Later she married a miner named John Matson. Shortly after they earned the title, they sold the land. The marriage didn't last. Rockwell was soon living in
Bend, Oregon Bend is a city in central Oregon and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is located to the east of the Cascade Range, on the Deschutes River. The site became known by pioneers as a ford (cros ...
, where she quickly reached celebrity status once again. This time it was more for her charitable work than anything else. Her personality and friendly nature ensured she always had friends wherever she went. She eventually was known by locals as "Aunt Kate", and according to reports from Bend locals, "She was a fund-raising dynamo, able to shake down almost any business or person for a contribution to a social cause; during the Great Depression she made gallons and gallons of soup to help out the hobos". She never achieved any of the fame she had briefly held in the Yukon, although she made full use of the memories. "Sourdough" reunions in the 1930s provided a measure of uptick in her fame, as did training young Hollywood starlets in the 1940s. She lived in Oregon for the last 45 years of her life, first in the Bend area, then near
Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada * Salem, Ontario, various places Germany * Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district ** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery * Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Israel * Salem (B ...
, and finally in Linn County. Rockwell appeared on th
December 23, 1954
episode of ''You Bet Your Life'', hosted by
Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...
. She married William L. Van Duren, who was her husband at the time of her death. Rockwell died on February 21, 1957, in
Sweet Home, Oregon Sweet Home is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States, with a population of 9,828 at the 2020 census. Sweet Home is referred to as the 'Gateway to the Santiam Playground' due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountain ...
, where she had lived for 21 years. The immediate cause of death was "Ventricular Fibrillation", with "Chronic Congestive Heart Failure" and "Arteriosclerotic Heart disease" given as underlying conditions. Her ashes were later scattered in
Central Oregon Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards t ...
.


Film

In 1943, Columbia Pictures released a motion picture dramatized biography loosely based on her life called '' Klondike Kate'', which starred
Ann Savage Ann Savage (born Berniece Maxine Lyon, February 19, 1921 – December 25, 2008) was an American film and television actress. She is best remembered as the greedy cigarette-puffing'' femme fatale'' in the critically acclaimed film noir ''Detour ...
.


Cultural influence

In 1935, British bandleader
Billy Cotton William Edward Cotton (6 May 1899 – 25 March 1969) was an English band leader and entertainer, one of the few whose orchestras survived the British dance band era. Cotton is now mainly remembered as a 1950s and 1960s radio and television ...
recorded a single titled "Klondyke Kate".
Ernie Pyle Ernest Taylor Pyle (August 3, 1900 – April 18, 1945) was an American journalist and war correspondent who is best known for his stories about ordinary American soldiers during World War II. Pyle is also notable for the Columnist#Newspaper and ...
has a chapter about Klondike Kate (whom he calls Kate Rothrock) in his book ''Home Country''. She's the main inspiration for the Disney character Glittering Goldie, long-time love interest of
Scrooge McDuck Scrooge McDuck (occasionally stylized as $crooge McDuck) is a cartoon character created in 1947 for The Walt Disney Company by Carl Barks. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish-born American anthropomorphic duck. Like his nephew, Do ...
.


References


Further reading

*Lucia, Ellis. ''Klondike Kate: The Life and Legend of Kitty Rockwell, The Queen of the Yukon''


External links


"Klondike Kate: 'Our Destitute Prostitute' or 'Aunt Kate'"
from ''The Source Weekly'', July 21, 2010
"Klondike Kate's Last Request to Be Granted"
from the ''Register-Guard'', July 16, 1958
"Klondike Kate's Ashes Claimed"
from the ''Register-Guard'', July 29, 1958 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rockwell, Klondike Kate American vaudeville performers People of the Klondike Gold Rush American entertainers 19th-century births 1957 deaths People from Spokane, Washington People from Dawson City People from Sweet Home, Oregon