Frank Slaven came north with the Klondike Gold Rush and established himself in Dawson, staking claims in the surrounding gold fields and making acquaintances with many of the Dawson businessmen and community leaders. 

Eventually his travels took him to into Alaska, and he finally settled on Coal Creek, the site of his namesake roadhouse which continues to serve as a popular stopping point and landmark along the Yukon River.

After working claims on Coal Creek and the surrounding area for many years, Slaven began work on the roadhouse in 1932. He paid Sandy Johnson, Ed Brown, Art Reynolds and Sivert O. Lee $200 each to construct the building.

Based on a photograph taken in 1935-36, the framed rear addition to the roadhouse was added several years after the log portion was completed. It is generally accepted that the siding was obtained from Fort Egbert in Eagle when most of the buildings there were dismantled and sold at public auction in the 1930s.

Slaven, accompanied by his niece, Miss Mary Bissell, left Alaska in 1938 and settled in Seattle where he died on October 12, 1942, two weeks short of his 72nd birthday. During the period from 1938 to 1960, Gold Placers, Inc. used the roadhouse as a bunkhouse and supply point for crewmen working on the lower part of Coal Creek. The company also used the landing at Slaven's to unload supply barges carrying fuel and mechanical parts for the dredging operations.

From 1990 through 1996, the National Park Service restored Slaven's Roadhouse to its original 1938-42 condition.

Slaven's Roadhouse continues to serve the public as a landmark along the Yukon River. It is open to public access and frequently has people spending the night while traveling up and down the river.

Each February, it serves as a dog drop point during the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race. At times, the roadhouse also serves as quarters for volunteers working for the National Park Service.