Pioneer Creek facts for kids

Pioneer Creek is a small river, also called a tributary, that flows into Baker Creek in the U.S. state of Alaska. Other creeks that also flow into Baker Creek nearby include Eureka, Thanksgiving, and Gold Run.

Geography of Pioneer Creek

Pioneer Creek starts near the mountains that separate Baker Creek and Minook Creek. It flows near Eureka Creek, sometimes running next to it for about 1 to 2 miles. After flowing for 7 to 8 miles, Pioneer Creek meets Eureka Creek. Together, they seem to disappear into a flat area called Baker Flats.

Pioneer Creek always has a good amount of water, enough to power several sluices. A sluice is a tool used to separate gold from gravel. The creek drops about 60 feet for every mile it flows downhill.

One side of the valley where Pioneer Creek flows has a gentle slope that stretches for about a mile. The other side is very steep. On the gentle slope, there are flatter areas called benches. One of these benches is very long, stretching for over 4 miles along Pioneer Creek. At one end, it's only a little higher than the creek, but at the other end, it's about 250 feet above the creek.

This bench and the slope below it are covered with special gravel that contains gold. These areas are known as "bars." Five smaller creeks — Doric, Boothby, Seattle Junior, Skookum, and Joe Bush — flow across this bench and into Pioneer Creek. Near Joe Bush Creek, people found an old stream channel when they were digging.

Geology of the Area

The main rock found deep underground, called bedrock, is a type of schist called schistose grit. It has layers of slate and thin layers of quartzite. Sometimes, the grit rocks contain a lot of carbon, especially near Doric Creek.

There are also small veins and stringers of quartz in the rocks. On Doric Creek, you can find a mineral called pyrite, also known as "fool's gold," spread throughout the rocks. Often, the pyrite has changed over time, leaving small holes filled with iron rust where it used to be. Near Doric Creek, pieces of a carbon-like substance, about the size of a walnut, are found with small quartz seams.

History of Gold Discovery

Like many other creeks in Alaska, people claimed land along Pioneer Creek in the early 1900s, hoping to find gold. At first, everyone waited for someone else to do the hard work of finding the "pay streak" – the rich vein of gold. Because of this, many claims were not worked on and eventually expired.

Later, other people claimed the land. In 1902, gold was finally discovered on a spot called What Cheer Bar. After this first discovery, more gold was found on Doric Creek and in several other places along the bench. By the end of the summer of 1904, the Pioneer Creek Valley had produced about $35,800 worth of gold.