Keno Hill

Keno Hill

Keno Hill (or Keno City), YT, Settlement, pop 15 (2006c), 20 (2001c). Keno Hill is located 122 km northwest of the Klondike Highway, 466 km by road north from Whitehorse. In 1919 Louis Beauvette staked the Roulette silver-lead claim on top of Keno Hill in the MAYO district. The Keno Hill Ltd, a subsidiary of the Yukon Gold Co, purchased Beauvette's claim and 5 others and began mining in 1920. The company established a supply depot and reloading point at the base of the hill. In 1925 a mill built up the mountain by Treadwell Yukon Co began processing ore.

Under the name Keno City, it evolved from a scattering of tents to a settlement with cabins, stables, hotel, assay office, school and liquor store. In the 1930s, falling silver prices and the exhaustion of the principal deposits on Keno Hill reduced mining activity and residents left for work elsewhere. The school was closed in 1931 and the liquor store in 1933. Mining activity and the Treadwell mill moved to ELSA (14 km to the west). With the closure of that mine in 1989, Keno Hill has relied on tourism, in particular, the Keno City Mining Museum. Keno got its name from a popular game of chance played in western mining communities.