Gold Mining in Alaska
Posted 8/29/2008 @ 11:14:35 am by aunuts.com
Gold mining in Alaska has been a key movement for those seeking adventure and in the development of settlements ever since the United States attained the region from Russia. The Russians surveyed gold in Kenai River in 1848, but located no gold. Gold mining began in 1870 southeast of Juneau, Alaska.
The location of gold in Alaska’s earlier period and present day is hard to ignore. There are substantial amounts of it everywhere. Hotels also pride themselves with names such as the Golden Nugget, Motherlode, Golden North and the Gold Miner’s inspired by the presence of gold mines in Alaska. Gold was primarily mined in southeastern Alaska in the 1870s. The first big discovery was in close proximity to Sitka in 1872, and the next time someone struck gold occurred in 1876 in Windham Bay. Alaska’s most substantial gold strike was located in Juneau in 1880 when two searchers escorted by a Native American located big portions of quartz, black sulfite, and galena all sparkly with gold. This area is now known as the Gold Creek. On their first adventure, they amassed a thousand pounds of ore. The town is recognized for one of the miners. Jon Juneau inspired the naming of Juneau Mining District as well as the capital of Alaska, Juneau. Their large find of gold quartz has maintained mining in the area to the present day. Gold finds in the Klondike and close to Nome brought a number of prospectors to Alaska in the 1890s. Many of them had to come by steamship to Skagway, in southeast Alaska, and then trek by land to the Klondike. The most recent mine development may be the second largest in the world. Pebble Mine will be cultivated as both an open cavity and underground mine. |
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