Arthur Harper (trader)

Arthur Harper (1835–1897) was an Irish-born Yukon River prospector, trader, and explorer, recognized as the first man to enter the Yukon country seeking gold. He mined in California in the 1850s, and British Columbia through the 1860s, before taking off for the Yukon in 1871. He reached Fort Yukon in 1873, and ran a store with Jack McQuesten at the Fortymile River. Harper formed a trading partnership with McQuesten and Captain ; their company founded in 1874 and other posts in the Yukon. Harper was known as the best prospector of the trio, and while he did not achieve major success in his pursuit of gold, he sometimes pointed others to finds. He traded and prospected in Alaska until just before his death. rdf:langString