Gold Creek (Juneau, Alaska) facts for kids
Gold Creek is a small river, or waterway, located in the beautiful state of Alaska, in the United States. It flows through an area called Silver Bow Basin, right on the edge of the city of Juneau. The local Tlingit people call it Dzantikʼihéeni.
This creek became very famous in 1880. That year, a wise leader named Chief Kowee showed two gold seekers, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris, where to find gold in the creek. Because of this discovery, the city of Juneau was started in the very same year! Miners gave the creek its name, "Gold Creek," and it was first written down in 1883.
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Discovering Gold in Gold Creek
The first official claims for gold in Gold Creek were made on October 4, 1880, by Joe Juneau and Richard Harris. These were called placer claims, which meant they were looking for gold flakes and nuggets in the creek's gravel.
Soon after, they also made quartz claims for their bosses, Pilz and Fuller. Quartz claims are for finding gold inside rock veins. These claims later became part of big companies like the Ebner Gold Mining Company and the Alaska-Juneau Gold Mining Company. By January 1, 1881, many people had registered 71 placer claims in the area, showing how exciting the gold rush was!
Early Mining Methods
In the early days, miners used simple but effective tools to get gold from Gold Creek.
Arrastras and Stamp Mills
By 1881, miners were using machines called arrastras. An arrastra was a simple mill that used heavy stones to crush gold-bearing rock. This helped them get the gold out more easily.
By 1882, a bigger machine called a five-stamp mill was working. A stamp mill uses heavy metal stamps to crush rock into fine powder, making it easier to separate the gold. This mill was used to process gold from a claim called Humboldt.
Last Chance Hydraulic Mining Company
In 1898, a company called the Last Chance Hydraulic Mining Company was formed. They worked on a placer claim with the same name. They likely used hydraulic mining, which uses powerful jets of water to wash away gravel and dirt, revealing the gold. By 1903, about sixty miners were busy working in three different mines along Gold Creek.
The Juneau Gold Belt
The mines in Gold Creek are part of a larger area known as the "Juneau gold belt." This belt is a long stretch of land where gold is found.
What is Gold Ore?
The main rock in this gold area is a dark rock called black graphite and a type of limestone rock called calcareous slate. These rocks have veins of quartz running through them. Gold ore is often found inside these quartz veins.
The gold ore in Gold Creek also contains other minerals like:
- Pyrrhotite
- Pyrite (often called "fool's gold")
- Galena
- Zinc blende (also known as Sphalerite)
Sometimes, gold ore is also found within diorite dikes. A dike is a sheet of rock that forms when magma pushes up through cracks in existing rock layers.
