Ogilvie, William National Historic Person

Dawson, Yukon Territory
Portrait of William Ogilvie in Alberta Saskatchewan Yukon album © Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, LAC | Affaires indiennes et du Nord Canada, BAC, Accession 1974-366.
Portrait
© Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, LAC | Affaires indiennes et du Nord Canada, BAC, Accession 1974-366.
Portrait of William Ogilvie in Alberta Saskatchewan Yukon album © Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, LAC | Affaires indiennes et du Nord Canada, BAC, Accession 1974-366.View of Historic Sites and Monument Board of Canada plaque mounted on a rock © Parks Canada Agency | Agence Parcs Canada, 1990.View of the location of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque on a rock on the grounds of the Commissioner's Residence © Parks Canada Agency | Agence Parcs Canada, 1990.
Address : Dawson, Yukon Territory

Recognition Statute: Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date: 1970-11-03
Life Date: 1846 to 1912

Other Name(s):
  • Ogilvie, William  (Designation Name)

Importance: Surveyor, author, Commissioner of Yukon (1898-1901)

Plaque(s)


Existing plaque: On a rock on the site of the Commissioner's Residence Dawson, Yukon Territory

A native of Ottawa, William Ogilvie became a Dominion Land Surveyor in 1872. Through his participation in the Canada-Alaska boundary survey and exploration of the Mackenzie River, he effectively completed mapping the northwestern corner of Canada. He was one of the earliest authorities on the Yukon and author of "The Klondike Official Guide," 1898. As Commissioner of the Yukon, 1898-1901, his intimate knowledge of the country contributed to its peaceful evolution during the turbulent years of the Klondike Gold Rush.