Cape Nome Mining District Discovery Sites facts for kids

Cape Nome Mining District Discovery Sites
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Gold prospectors on the Nome beach, 1900
Location in Alaska
Nearest city	Nome, Alaska
Area	67.996 acres (27.517 ha)
Built	1898
NRHP reference No.	78000535
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 2, 1978
Designated NHLD	June 2, 1978

The Cape Nome Mining District Discovery Sites are a special group of places in Nome, Alaska. These sites are recognized as a National Historic Landmark because they played a huge part in Alaska's history. They are especially famous for the exciting Nome Gold Rush that started in 1899.

Four important spots are part of this historic area:

• Anvil Creek Gold Discovery Site
• Snow Creek Placer Claim No. 1
• Erik Lindblom Placer Claim
• Nome Beach

Three Swedish miners found gold at these sites in September 1898. They first discovered gold at the Erik Lindblom Placer Claim on September 19. The next day, September 20, they found gold at the Snow Creek Claim. Finally, on September 22, they made a big discovery at the Anvil Creek Discovery Claim. Even today, people still mine for gold in the Nome mining district.

Anvil Creek Gold Discovery Site

Anvil Creek Gold Discovery Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property
Photograph of the "Largest nugget found in Anvil Creek" by Beverly Bennett Dobbs
Location	About 4.25 miles (6.84 km) north of Nome
Nearest city	Nome, Alaska
Area	18.796 acres (7.606 ha)
Built	1898
Part of	Cape Nome Mining District Discovery Sites (ID78000535)
NRHP reference No.	66000159
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHLDCP	June 2, 1978

This site is located near Anvil Creek. It is about 4.25 miles (6.84 km) north of the city of Nome. The area is in a valley west of a low, treeless hill called Anvil Peak.

Anvil Creek was one of the richest gold mining spots ever found in Alaska. In its first five years, it produced more than $5 million worth of gold. By 1965, much of the site had returned to its natural state.

Erik Lindblom Placer Claim

The Erik Lindblom Placer Claim is on Mountain Creek. This creek often dries up. It flows into the Snake River. The claim is on what is called the "Third Beach." This area is about 79 feet (24 m) above sea level. It was once an ancient coastline.

Ocean waves helped gather a lot of gold here. This is similar to how gold was later found on Nome's actual beach. This site was the very first gold discovery made by the three miners.

Interestingly, no one knew who owned this claim site in 1975. The last known owner was the "Pioneer Mining Company" over 50 years before. By 1975, the area looked natural again. However, some old mining tools and household items were still there. Nothing on the land made the Erik Lindblom Placer Claim stand out from the areas around it.

Snow Creek Placer Claim No. 1

The Snow Creek Placer Claim No. 1 is a strip of land 635 feet (194 m) wide. It runs for 1,345 feet (410 m) along Snow Creek. This spot is where Snow Creek meets Glacier Creek. Glacier Creek then flows into the Snake River. Snow Creek itself often dries up. Most of the gold mining on Snow Creek was finished by 1903.

Nome Beach

In 1899, about 1,000 miners in Nome had nothing to do. This was because all the good spots at Anvil Creek were already claimed. It was then luckily discovered that the beach right in Nome also had gold! Miners could use simple tools called "rockers" to find gold. They could earn between $20 and $100 every day from the beach.