Palmer Creek (Turnagain Arm) facts for kids
Palmer Creek is a waterway in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, US. It flows into Resurrection Creek, which then flows into Turnagain Arm. This creek is famous for the gold found there in the late 1800s.
Geography of Palmer Creek
Palmer Creek flows northwest for about 11 miles (18 km) before it reaches Resurrection Creek. The town of Hope is located about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of the creek.
The upper part of Palmer Creek flows through a wide, rounded valley for about 6 miles (9.7 km). The lower part of the creek cuts through a steep, narrow canyon. In some places, it flows through solid rock, and in others, through gravel banks.
Most of the gold mining happened in the last 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the creek. Miners focused on the gravels in the creek bed. The rocks around the creek are mostly slates and arkoses, which are types of rock. The gravels in the creek look like these local rocks. They have many sharp, angular pieces. Some larger rocks, up to 1.5 feet (0.46 m) across, can also be found.
The gold found in Palmer Creek is usually coarse (large pieces) and heavy. It is often flattened and smooth. The gold can be bright yellow or sometimes whitish. Miners have also found pieces of native silver in the creek.
History of Gold Mining
Gold was first discovered on Palmer Creek in 1894 by George Palmer. He was a trader in the Knik Arm area. This discovery led to many people searching for gold on nearby streams.
In the next year, 1895, S. J. Mills staked the first claims on Mills Creek, which is named after him. He also named the forks of Sixmile Creek.
At first, individual miners owned the gold claims on Palmer Creek. By 1904, two "hydraulic plants" were operating. These machines used strong jets of water to wash away gravel and find gold. About 10 men worked at these plants.
By 1915, one company controlled most of the lower canyon section of the creek, which included 18 claims. Around this time, miners also found a special rock vein, called a mineralized acidic dike, that contained minerals. This dike was first found in 1898. Later, John Hirshey and Elmer Carlson found it again in Ptarmigan Gulch. W. A. Logman also found it in Coeur d'Alene Gulch. The Lucky Strike mine, managed by John Hirshey, was active in 1931.
