Nome carries a rich and blended history of cultures and people who have shared their Arctic ingenuity to thrive in this remote gold rush town on the coast of northwest Alaska.
News of the 1898 discovery of placer gold impelled thousands of prospectors to board steamships and head to the tent city of Nome, where miners worked shoulder to shoulder on the gold-bearing sands. The town swelled to encompass 20,000 people with dozens of stores and businesses, along with newspapers and photographers who captured the flurry of activities across the tundra and sea. Bering Sea storms, fires, and fluctuations in the gold industry have reshaped this northern town that continues to persevere due to a resilient community who believes there is no place like Nome.