Coal Creek Historic Mining District
Encyclopedia
The Coal Creek Historic Mining District is a gold-mining area in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
of Alaska
. It features a gold dredge
and a supporting community of several dozen buildings, established by mining entrepreneur Ernest Patty.
The dredge is the most significant relic in the district. It is a medium-sized diesel-powered floating dredge. It was built by the Walter W. Johnson Company of Oakland, California
and shipped in pieces to Skagway
, then by rail to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and by barge down the Yukon River
.
The encampment moved three times. It was first established near the mouth of Cheese Creek in 1934, then moved to a location near Snare Creek in 1941. The final move brought it to its present location at Beaton Pup. The first site has not survived, having been dredged over. The second site has been altered by changes in the course of the creek. The Frank Slaven Roadhouse
, separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, is nearby and is included in the district. The third camp survives nearly intact, with its equipment and historic context preserved.
The placer operation was managed by mining engineer Ernest Patty, who arrived in Alaska in 1922 and had become an instructor at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks
. Patty was to return to what had become the University of Alaska in 1953 as president of the university, retiring in 1960.
Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
The Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve is located in east central Alaska along the border with Canada. It encompasses 115 miles of the 1,800-mile Yukon River and the entire Charley River basin....
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It features a gold dredge
Gold dredge
A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods.The original gold dredges were large, multi-story machines built in the first half of the 1900s....
and a supporting community of several dozen buildings, established by mining entrepreneur Ernest Patty.
The dredge is the most significant relic in the district. It is a medium-sized diesel-powered floating dredge. It was built by the Walter W. Johnson Company of Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and shipped in pieces to Skagway
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
, then by rail to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and by barge down the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
.
The encampment moved three times. It was first established near the mouth of Cheese Creek in 1934, then moved to a location near Snare Creek in 1941. The final move brought it to its present location at Beaton Pup. The first site has not survived, having been dredged over. The second site has been altered by changes in the course of the creek. The Frank Slaven Roadhouse
Slaven's Cabin
Slaven's Cabin, also called Slaven's Roadhouse and Frank Slaven Roadhouse, is a public-use facility in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in Alaska...
, separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, is nearby and is included in the district. The third camp survives nearly intact, with its equipment and historic context preserved.
The placer operation was managed by mining engineer Ernest Patty, who arrived in Alaska in 1922 and had become an instructor at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
. Patty was to return to what had become the University of Alaska in 1953 as president of the university, retiring in 1960.
See also
- Chatanika gold dredge (Fairbanks)
- F. E. Company Dredge No. 4F. E. Company Dredge No. 4The Pedro Dredge, also known as F.E. Company Dredge No. 4, was originally owned by the Fairbanks Exploration Company , a subsidiary of the United States Smelting Refining & Mining Co. . It was built by the Yuba Manufacturing Company in California, and was shipped to Pedro Creek north of Fairbanks...
- Goldstream Dredge No. 8Goldstream Dredge No. 8Goldstream Dredge No. 8 is a ladder dredge operated by the Fairbanks Exploration Co. from 1928 to 1959. It is located on the Steese Highway between Fairbanks and Fox, Alaska....