• Active members of the Royal Order of Klondike Kates are known as the “mistresses of fun, frivolity, song and good merriment.” They serenade and entertain visitors to St. Paul’s Winter Carnival every year, as well as regionally throughout the year.

     

  • Every Klondike Kate has competed in a pageant to win her title. Every year, up to 10 contestants vie for this coveted role. There is a 33 percent chance that you will win on your first try, but most Kates have competed more than once.

     

  • The average boa of a Klondike Kate weighs 180 grams.

     

  • The feathers that fall from the boas are referred to as “Kate Droppings.”

     

  • Legend has it that if a feather from the boa of a Kate is placed under your pillow at night, all of your dreams will come true.

     

  • Active members of the Royal Order of Klondike Kates make an average of 100 appearances annually.

     

  • The reigning Klondike Kate may make more than 300 appearances during her year.

     

  • Each Klondike Kate is given a “handle” or “nickname” by her sister Kates. Traditionally, the handle references something the Klondike Kate has become known for or contributed to the organization or community during her year.

     

  • Originally, the reigning Klondike Kate performed alone. But as years went by, the character of Kate became so flamboyant and dynamic that she became more and more in demand. It then became a group effort so that many more of the requested demands for appearances could be fulfilled. Former Klondike Kates, who are members of the Royal Order of Klondike Kates, perform alongside the new Kate to create memories from the Gold Rush era of our country.

     

  • Klondike Kate contestants are judged on vocal ability, crowd appeal, costuming, personality, song selection and their overall representation of the Winter Carnival legend character Klondike Kate.

     

  • Each Klondike Kate has her own costumes designed and made. As a volunteer organization, Kates pay for their costumes. One of the Kates’ favorite sayings is, “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap!” (quote from Dolly Parton)

     

  • Each Kate commits to five years with the organization. Many surpass that minimum requirement, and as the saying goes, “Once a Kate, always a Kate.”

     

  • The legend character Klondike Kate is inspired by Kathleen Rockwell. She was an entertainer in the Yukon during the 1800s.

     

  • Although it is not known exactly when the Winter Carnival began hiring entertainers, it is known that the last entertainer hired was in 1961, and she was known as “Klondike Kate.”

     

  • The first contest to find a Klondike Kate was in 1971 by the St. Paul Jaycees.

     

  • Klondike Kate was born Kathleen Eloisa Rockwell (1876-1957).

     

  • A quote from the real Kate: “I gave them a little extra in my smile.”

     

  • “For Kate’s first act at the Savoy, she wore a rose-tinted, lace-trimmed gown and an elaborate hat decorated with ostrich plumes. But it seemed that her incredible beauty and natural talent immediately set her apart from the rest of the girls.” Describing Kate in “Good Time Girls,” author Lael Morgan writes, “She had natural red hair, violet eyes, long black lashes and a splendid figure. Her face was a delicate oval of innocence in marked contrast to her husky voice, her worldly experience and her blatant sexual appeal. Kate also had talent and grace — rare qualities among Dawson showgirls. Her special come-on was something called the ‘pixie stare,’ a projection of sweet innocence and raw sex that few men could resist, but it was her capacity for fun that ultimately won them.”

     

  • “Kathleen Eloisa Rockwell, better known as “Klondike Kate,” lived a tumultuous life that led her throughout North and South America as she worked at jobs ranging from kindergarten teacher to chorus girl to dishwasher. Born in Junction City, Kan., in 1876, she earned her place in Gold Rush history as a beautiful, talented and flirtatious stage dancer during Dawson’s peak years. Engaged more than 100 times, married at least three times and ever on the move, Kate thumbed her nose at the mores of her era, unashamed of who she was or the choices she made.”

— From an article on Klondike Kate at Litsite.org

Information from Klondikekates.org, the Klondike Kate calendar and LitSite.org.

Watch the crowning of the 2010 Klondike Kate, Suzanne Leisman, at Wintercarnivalfanclub.com.

Copyright 2010 Pioneer Press.