Libraries, Archives, Museums: MIning in Alaska primary source collections: Gold

Mining in Alaska

This guide consists of collections of primary source material held by Alaskan archives, libraries, and museums, which deal with mining activities in Alaska. The guide is divided into sections, based on the type of ore or mineral. You can navigate between these sections using the menu on the left-hand side of the page. This guide is an overview of collections containing significant amounts of material relating to the mining in Alaska and is not meant to be comprehensive or include every collection containing material related to the topic. For collections related to oil, petroleum, or the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, these can be found in a separate guide.

Click on the linked collection names for more detailed descriptions of the collections. Not every collection listed has a description online. For more information about a collection, please contact the institution that owns the collection. The institution names in the lists are linked to each institution's main page. Some individual collection links will take you to a catalog search: usually searching the title of the collection in the catalog search will bring up the finding aid.

Selected items related to mining in Alaska from many of the institutions represented in this guide have been digitized and added to Alaska's Digital Archives. You can use the search box at the top right of the homepage to search for these materials.

If you represent an institution that holds primary source material related to mining activities in Alaska and you you like to see it included in this guide, please contact the UAA/APU Consortium Library Archives and Special Collections.

Gold mining in Alaska

Alaska State Library Historical Collections

Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company records, 1897-1946. MS 70
Includes contracts, reports, and correspondence.
Alaska Empire Gold Mining Company, 1937. MS 1
Primarily correspondence regarding mine operations in 1937.
Admiralty-Alaska Gold Mining Co. Collection, 1915-1934. MS 247
Photographs of the beach camp mine buildings, and expense account entries dating from 1915-1934.
Alaska Gastineau Gold Mining Company engineering drawings and related items, 1914-1919. MS 035
Asa Columbus Baldwin papers, 1907-1941. MS 36
The collection includes papers documenting Baldwin’s activities on prospecting, surveying and work at the Yellow Band Gold Mine near Chitna-McCarthy in the Bremner Range.
Chititu Creek Mining Camp photograph collection, 1903. PCA 425-32
Documents pertaining to mines in the Juneau Area, ca. 1903-1959 (bulk 1912-1915). MS 183
Emile Gastonguay papers, 1911-1932 MS 4-10
Records of the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company at Thane and Chichagof Development Corporation.
Hirst-Chichagof Mining Company records, 1920-1965. MS 141
Juneau Mining District photographs, 1915. PCA 587
The collection includes mining reports, mining and engineering records, articles about mining in Juneau, U.S. Geological Service Bulletins, blue lines of the Treadwell mine (also on microfiche, in the collection) and photographs
Juneau/Douglas Engineering, Mining, and Pulp Mill records, 1913-1930. MS 21
Robert A. Kinzie photograph collection, 1908-1911. PCA 325
July 4, 1908 photographs of Treadwell, Alaska, including the Alaska Treadwell Mine and the Mexican Mine. Includes Fourth of July activities, Treadwell mine interiors, mining machinery, Juneau, Douglas and Fort Seward, Alaska.
A. K. McDaniel photograph collection Alaska Gold Mines Co., Juneau, Alaska, 1912 PCA 120
Mr. A.K. McDaniel, a consulting mining engineer, worked for Alaska Gastineau Mining Company in Juneau and Thane in 1912.
Mellen Mining and Manufacturing Co. papers, 1902. MS 4-39-5
This collection consists of four letters from B. F. Von Behren, president of the Mellen Mining and Manufacturing Co., to Mr. Nathaniel [Greene?] regarding financial matters at Juneau mine claims.
Nabesna Mining Corporation records, 1906-1947 (bulk 1931-1947) MS 8
The Nabesna Mining Corporation Records consist of records and files primarily for the period 1931 -1947 with some material for 1920. The material consists of correspondence, field books, blueprints, photos and miscellany relating to the operation of the Mill and the Mine as well as to the work and activities of Carl Farwell Whitham, a principal in this mining venture.
Frank C. Nichols papers, 1898-1902. MS 13-2-5
Letters, clippings and map concerning the Seward Peninsula mining activity of the Rhode Island and Alaska Mining and Transportation Company.
Radio Wireless and Weather Station at Radioville, Alaska records (near Chichagof Island), 1930-1938 MS 4-23
Includes correspondence for the Chichagof Gold Mining Company, Chichagof, Alaska, and correspondence for the Hirst-Chichagof Gold Mining Company, Radioville, Alaska.
Patricia Roppel photograph collection, circa 1900-1905. PCA 551
The photographs include Nome gold-rush-era photographs and early northern gold mining.
Harry F. Snyder photograph collection, 1916–1918. PCA 38
Includes a photograph album of the Alaska Treadwell Mine where Harry Snyder worked as an electrician from 1916-1918.
David Stone Papers, 1980-2012 MS 277
The collection contains David Stone’s research files related to his work as an historian of gold mining in Alaska, particularly in the Juneau Mining District.
Windham Chief Consolidated G. M. & M. Co. photograph collection, circa 1918. PCA 293
The 51 photos show camp life at the Windham Chief Con. G.M. & M. Co. mine, ca.1918.

Anchorage Museum Library and Archives

Alaska Gastineau Mining Company collection, 1912-1914. B2000.004.
This collection documents construction of the mine camp, tunnel portal, and mill and support facilities at Thane and Salmon Creek.
Alaska Historical Society photographs, 1900. B76.31.13 – 225.
Includes photos of gold dredges.
Crary-Henderson collection, circa 1885-1930. B1962.001, B1962.001A.
Photographs of mining operations.
Daguerreotype collection, undated. B1975.134.78.
Includes images of Nabesna Gold Mine.
Bruce Dunkle collection, circa 1953. B1995.024.
Three cassette tapes containing interviews with a man who owned the Golden Zone mining claim in the Broad Pass area.
Louise Gallop collection, circa 1959-2013. B2014.001.
Papers of a woman who purchased a gold claim in Kantishna District, which include photographs and records related to her claim.
Eric Hard diary, 1941. B1978.127.
Diary of a man who came to Alaska in 1898, engaged in placer gold mining in Ophir. Diary of
his time while in Ophir.
Henton memorabilia, 1960s? B1971.32.
Photographs related to Fred Henton’s mine on Alexander Creek.
O.G. Herning collection, undated. B1967.001
Includes photos of mines and gold mining.
Ken Hinchey collection, 1945-1980. B2015.025.
Contains photographs related to Ken Hinchey’s mining operations in Alaska including placer gold in Hope.
Vernon Humble collection, circa 1890-1920s. B1972.046
Photos of mines and mining on the Seward Peninsula and during the Klondike Gold Rush, including scenes of the Chilkoot Trail and Dawson City.
Lockwood collection, 1890–1899. B80.108.
Photographs depicting the gold rush and tent city in the area of Juneau, Alaska.
Nielsen collection, 1920s–1940s. B05.18.
The photographs are black and white and of various activities related to mining, including a gold sluice box and high-powered hoses.
Sgt. William B. Shaffer collection, 1911. B1970.40.
Photographs of Fairbanks area and gold mines and mining from Sgt. William Shaffer while stationed in Fairbanks in 1911.
Morgan Sherwood Gold Rush ephemera collection, 1897-1995. B1995.03
The collection consists of 54 items including videotapes, audio cassette tapes, movie posters, playing cards, sheet music, postcards, and illustrations from books, magazines, and newspapers, plus a three-ring binder of miscellaneous photocopies, all associated with the gold rush period of Alaska and the Klondike.
Laurence Tyler collection, 1898-1909. B1972.27.
Photos of gold mining – Klondike Gold Rush and Chilkoot Trail, mining in Nome and Seward Peninsula.
John Urban collection, circa 1897-1940s. B1964.001.
Photos of mining operations.
Rufus A. White lantern slide collection, circa 1920? B1957.006.
Photos of gold dredge and a mining operation.

UAA/APU Consortium Library, Archives and Special Collections

Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Co. Independence Mine records, 1930-1987. HMC-0023.
Administrative and operations records from the company that ran the largest hard rock gold mine in southcentral Alaska The collection also includes papers relating to the history of the mine and photos of mining activities, personnel, and other mines in the Willow Creek Mining District.
Kenneth D. Andress reminiscences, 1937-1943. HMC-0058.
Four audiocassette recordings of Andress's oral history of his experiences living and working in Alaska from 1937-1943, including his reminiscences of working at the Alaska Juneau Mine (1939-1941) and for Independence Mine (1941-1942).
John James Brennan papers, 1906-1987. HMC-0596
The collection consists of the papers of Alaskan geologist John James Brennan. The collection contains: biographical materials; mining claim records concerning the Opal and Markup Creek area; photographs; maps and plans of the Opal and Markup prospects near Chitina, Alaska; and maps of the generalized geology of a portion of the North Foothills Section of the North Slope of Alaska.
Chititu Mines Co. records, 1925-1949. HMC-0088.
Records of the operations of a mining company located in the Nizina Mining District near McCarthy, Alaska that operated claims on Rex and Chititu Creeks.
M. E. Coker mining photographs, circa 1946. HMC-0946.
Thirty-five photographs taken or collected by Mrs. M. E. "Flossie" Coker, depicting placer gold mining operations at mines in the vicinities of the towns of Stuyahok and Girdwood.
Harry and Ruth Dobson papers, 1906-1973. HMC-0100.
Papers of a British miner who Ecame to Alaska in 1894 to prospect for gold on the Seward Peninsula around Nome and Teller. The collection contains letters, maps, and legal documents concerning his mining activity and photographs of mining activities, among other material.
Lawrence and Olga Doheny family papers, 1910-1980. HMC-0355.
Papers and photographs of an Alaskan mining family from Anchorage. Olga Standberg Doheny served as director of Strandberg Mines, Inc. from 1952-1961. Larry Doheny worked as a mining engineer for various operations including the U.S. Smelting, Mining, and Refining Co. and Strandberg and Sons, Inc.
Russell W. Dow papers. 1917-1992. HMC-0369.
Russell Dow (1915-1992) settled in Alaska in 1936, worked in mining and construction, and was an avid photographer. His papers include photographs and materials relating to the Ruff & Tuff Mine, Independence Mine, and the Cripple Creek Gold Mine near Aniak.
Erickson family papers, 1903-1971. HMC-0356.
Papers and photographs of Arne Erickson and his wife Josephine Erickson, who operated the Crow Creek Mine near Girdwood. Arne was also a mining partner with David Strandberg in Flat.
Robert Geehan papers, 1933-1940. HMC-1163.
Robert Geehan was a Mining Engineer who worked with Harold Strandberg, owner of the Cripple Creek Mining Company in Folger, Alaska. This collection primarily contains blueprints, sketches, and financial records of the Cripple Creek Mining Company. The collection also contains estimated prophets, costs, balance and work sheets, food lists, payroll accounts, as well as sketches of the Homer Spit Wharf site and a possible air strip in Seldovia, AK.
Richard Tighe Harris family papers, 1853-1969. HMC-0131.
Richard Harris (1831-1907) and Joe Juneau discovered gold near present-day Juneau in 1881. The collection contains Harris's correspondence, drawings and photographs, maps, and other records, as well as legal, mining and financial records documenting his prospecting and business activities, especially for the period of 1879-1885.
Holmes family papers, 1915-1966. HMC-0138.
This collection contains placer claims filed by Walter L. Holmes for Rex Creek, Calamity Gulch, May Creek, and Chititu Creek, records of the Rex Creek Mining Company and Dan Creek Mining Company, and photographs of the Holmes's mining operations, among other material.
Charles Goodyear Hubbard II papers, 1897-1990. HMC-0141.
Papers of an miner and prospector who was involved in copper mining in Alaska with his partner, Harry Elliot, until Elliot's death in 1909. Hubbard later became involved in placer gold operations on the Upper Kenai River near Seward, specifically Primrose Mine, and other locations on the Kenai Peninsula.
A.G. Kirby papers, 1908-1909. HMC-0648.
Letter and report concerning the Hurrah Quartz Mine on the Seward Peninsula. Kirby was involved in evaluating mines and potential mine locations.
A. G. Maddren photograph albums, 1906-1914. HMC-0166-APU.
Photograph albums of a geologist with the United States Geological Survey who worked on expeditions to Alaska from 1906-1914. The albums include photographs of placer gold mining activities.
J.B. and C.T. O'Neill papers, circa 1929-1947. HMC-0194.
Papers of two merchants who participated in mining activities near McCarthy, including operation of Dan Creek Mining Company, from 1931-1947.
Ruth A.M. Schmidt papers, 1912-2014. HMC-0792.
Papers of Alaskan geologist, Ruth Schmidt. While a majority pertain to her work as a geologist, Schmidt traveled to, and took photographs of many mines in Alaska, including the United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company (USSR); Independence Mine; and Cripple Creek Mine.
Lynn Smith papers, 1926-1933. HMC-0226.
Papers of a gold prospector who prospected for gold in Dawson, Rampart, Fairbanks, Hot Springs, Tanana, Ruby, and Iditarod, operating a jewelry business in each camp to finance his prospecting. He also served as an agent for the North American Trading and Transportation Company in Ruby and as U.S. Marshal for the Fourth Judicial District, Fairbanks from 1926-1933.
Stoll family papers, 1915-1987. HMC-0236.
Papers of the family that ran Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Co., the company that operated Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass. The collection includes papers, maps, and photographs created and collected by brothers William M. and Walter Clericus Stoll that document their involvement with mining at Independence Mine, other mines in the Willow Creek Mining District, and elsewhere in Alaska, Canada, the United States, Spain, and South America.
David and Jenny Strandberg family papers, 1897-1970. HMC-0357.
Papers and photographs of an Alaskan mining family who worked gold mines at Dawson in the Yukon Territory, Ester Creek, and Flat Creek near Iditarod. David Strandberg (1875-1949) was also president of Strandberg and Sons Mines, Incorporated, which operated gold mining operations at Cripple Creek, Candle Creek, Utopia Creek, and a platinum mine on Clara Creek.
Harold Strandberg papers, 1923-1985. HMC-0237.
Strandberg (1909-1995) worked as a placer miner with his father and three brothers at Cripple Creek, Folger, Candle, and Manley Hot Springs, and as a platinum miner at Goodnews Bay. He later served two terms as a state legislator and worked as vice president and secretary of Strandberg and Sons, Inc. (later known as the Stranberg Mining Corporation). The collection contains Strandberg's mining engineering papers, including maps; Strandberg family mining records; and photographs and moving image film of the family's mining operations in Alaska.
Strandberg Mines, Inc. records, 1910-1964. HMC-0359.
Records of the business operations of Strandberg and Sons Inc. and Strandberg Mines, Inc., who operated mining operations at Eureka, Folger, Prospect Creek, Bishop Creek, Candle, Bonanza Creek, Ruby, and various other places throughout Alaska until the early 1960s.
Joe Thome letters, undated, 1894. HMC-0243.
Two letters written to family and friends by a miner who worked for the Treadwell Mining Company in Douglas and prospected for gold near Dawson and in the interior of Alaska.
Joseph Turnidge letter, 1932. HMC-0248.
Letter written by a gold miner who worked in the Atlin District near the Alaskan-Canadian border in 1899, describing his mining efforts.
Frank H. Whitney scrapbook, undated, 1925. HMC-0894.
Scrapbook of an operator of Jewel Mine in Crow Creek Pass.

University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska and Polar Regions Collections and Archives Historical Manuscript Collections

Alaska Gastineau Mining Company photographs, 1911-1922. USUAFV5-171
This collection consists of 56 sepia toned photographs of the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company operations at Thane, Sheep Creek and Juneau. The Alaska Gastineau Mining Company Photographs include photographs of the iron workers village and bunk houses, the construction of the mill, including the concentrating and retreatment plants, and the machinery needed to build and run the mill. This collection also includes photographs of Mt. Juneau and Mt. Roberts as well as waterfront scenes of Juneau.
C. E. Allen mining papers. 1909-1911. USUAFV6-433
Legal papers, correspondence and memorandum book, relating to the mining interests of C.E. Allen in the Fairbanks mining district, 1909-1911.
Hilliard Avnet papers. 1917-circa 1950s. USUAFV4-115
The Hilliard Avnet Papers consist of letters and legal papers as well as 277 black-and-white photographs and 101 photographic negatives. The bulk of the legal papers relate to Francis Hawley, Hilliard Avnet's mining partner, and his Alaskan mining claims, and to Avnet's purchase of those claims. The letter were written, for the most part, by Avnet and describe Avnet's experiences and activities including life in mining camps, fur trapping, weather conditions, visits to roadhouses and towns in Interior Alaska, and the various tasks associated with gold mining. Photographic images include mining activities and equipment, street scenes in Alaskan towns and villages including Fairbanks, celebrations, buildings, and landscapes.
Asa Columbus Baldwin papers, 1907-1909, 1940-1941. USUAFV6-835
The 1940-1941 journal provides information on the Yellow Band Gold Mine in the Bremner River District of Alaska.
William B. Ballou papers, 1898-1918. USUAF51
The William B. Ballou Papers consist mainly of handwritten letters to Ballou's brother. In them, he describes his travels from Vermont to San Francisco, Saint Michaels, Alaska (by schooner) and up the Yukon River to Rampart City where he began his search for gold. Through the following years (to 1918) he continues his correspondence describing the life of mining and business in the Far North.
Bergman Family in Nome photographs, circa 1900. USUAFV6-166
42 photographs relating to the Bergman family, including 40 images relating to mining in the Nome, Alaska, area circa 1900.
Boswell Family papers, circa 1930-circa 1980. USUAFV6-935.
The John C. Boswell materials include research on the history of the U.S. Smelting, Refining and Mining Co., materials relating to the Alaska Constitutional Convention, and many mining photographs.
George S. Bowen Alaska mining papers. 1898-1899. USUAFV3-122
The George S. Bowen Alaska Mining Papers consist of the correspondence of George S. Bowen, a Chicago-based businessman, with individuals investigating mining opportunities in Cook Inlet, Alaska, on behalf of Bowen and the Alaska Transportation and Investment Company. Most of the correspondence relates to the activities of B. Frank Hand, a mining engineer based in Oakland and San Francisco, California.
Cahoon Family papers, 1874-circa 1931. USUAFV3-289
The Cahoon Family Papers consists of diaries, correspondence, legal papers and documents, newsclippings and 149 photographs. The bulk of the materials relate to the mining operations of Charles P. Cahoon in southeastern Alaska.
W. H. Carroll photographs, 1936-1941 USUAFV6-392
The W.H. Carroll Photographs includes black-and-white pictures of various sizes. The bulk of the photographs are from 1938-1940 and includes pictures of mining work in Ester and Cripple Creek, hydraulic mining, pictures of the Cripple Creek dragline and dredges such as the Fairbanks Exploration Company Dredge, the Chatanika Dredge and Gold Dredge number 10.
Chichagoff Mining Company records, 1909-1943. USUAFV3-308
The Chichagoff Mining Company Records consist of financial records, including ledgers, receipts, vouchers, and expense records, as well as business and financial correspondence, all relating to the operations of the Chichagoff Mining Company, its predecessor firms, and subsidiaries. The collection also contains a small amount of material relating to the Alaska-Juneau Mining Company.
Bob Clark slide collection, circa 1949. USUAFV6-518
These slides document Fairbanks Exploration Company operations, mostly relating to dredges and dredging, in and near Ester.
August W. Conradt papers, 1900-1956. USUAFV6-98.
The August W. Conradt Papers consist of business records and correspondence relating primarily to Conradt's mining ventures in Interior Alaska (Goldstream Creek, Central Creek, Ryan Lode, Ptarmigan Creek); a large collection of photographs depicting family and friends, mining activities, and daily life in Fairbanks, Alaska, and vicinity.
Corson Gold Mining Company records, circa 1900-1905. USUAFV6-442
This small collection contains information and documents relating to the Corson Mining Company, including advertisements, letters to the stockholders, blank shares and other ephemera. [Nome]
Diamond, Alaska collection, 1937-1951. USUAFV3-75.
The Diamond, Alaska, Collection consists of miscellaneous papers salvaged from the abandoned town of Diamond, including several merchandise order books dating from 1937 through 1941. They contain itemized lists of merchandise sold by L. C. (Lauritz C.) Olsen to individual miners at various sites in the vicinity of Diamond, particularly on the Bearpaw River and its tributaries. The miners and their sites are identified by name.
Dobbs photograph album, 1903-1905. USUAFV5-24
This album of Dobbs photographs focuses primarily on gold mining in Interior Alaska, although there are also photographs from Western Alaska and from the Yukon Territory. The images cover many aspects of mining, including placer works, hydraulic mining, and sluice box operations.
Manuel A. Domingos papers, 1903-1921. USUAFV6-272
The Manuel A. Domingos Papers consist primarily of Domingos's diaries, both in the original and as transcribed by Tom Christensen. Written in the vicinity of York, Alaska, in 1907-1910 and 1912-1915, the diaries provide commentary on people and events in the region's mining camps. Domingos, born in the Azores in 1854, came to Alaska in search of gold and stayed to mine tin.
Donohoe-Ostrander-Dimond records, 1902-1933. USUAF100.
The Donohoe-Ostrander-Dimond Records consist primarily of the correspondence, business records, and case files of the Valdez, Alaska, law firm Ostrander & Donohoe and its successor firm Donohoe & Dimond. The collection also includes political correspondence; papers concerning operations of the Valdez Mining Company and the Fidalgo-Alaska Copper Company; and Anthony J. Dimond's business and personal correspondence (1909-1913) prior to his partnership with Donohoe.
Roy Earling papers, circa 1909-circa. 1965. USUAFV6-1030.
The bulk of collection is related to Roy Earling's career accumulated during his employment with the U.S. Smelting Refining and Mining Co. from 1919-1952. The materials include Roy Earling's biographical information, passes and memberships; diaries; Smelting Refining and Mining Co. reports; Fairbanks Operations documents; committees and hearings; stockholders meetings; financial and property records; correspondence; drafts; mementos and press clippings. The collection also includes mining blueprints, as well as photographs of Nome, Dawson, Yukon, mining equipment, and mines.
Elmer Family papers, circa 1880-1949. USUAFV3-124.
The Elmer Family Papers consist primarily of correspondence, photographs, and other documentation relating to J. Moore Elmer's mining ventures in Alaska and the Yukon and efforts to find financial backers for those ventures.
Fairbanks Gold Dredging Company papers, 1902-1966.
The Fairbanks Gold Dredging Company Papers consist of business records for the period 1920-1966 pertaining to ownership, financial affairs, and mining operations of what was originally an English joint stock venture organizad to acquire title to the gold mining claims on Fairbanks Creek, Alaska. The papers document mining operations and financial affairs in the various permutations of the company and through the tenures of various owners and partners, including near monthly reports and descriptions of mining activities through 1966.
Roy Wade Ferrenbach papers, 1986-1995. USUAFV6-1073
The Roy Wade Ferrenbach Papers contain four diaries starting in 1986 and ending in 1995. The journals primarily describe Ferrenbach's seasonal mining excavations during the 1986-1987, 1989-1990, 1992 and 1994-1995 seasons.
Robert Hunter Fitzhugh papers, 1897-1900. USUAF137
The Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Papers consist of twenty-seven original letters, as well as typed transcriptions and photocopies of the originals. The letters were written by Robert Hunter Fitzhugh to his mother, father, and others between 1897 and 1900. They describe Fitzhugh's participation in the Klondike gold rush and prospecting in the Rampart Mining District of Alaska.
Gold Dredges in the Yukon and Alaska photographs, circa 1900-circa 1920. USUAFV6-867
The Gold Dredges in the Yukon and Alaska Photographs contain photographs of gold mining dredges, mining camps, tar paper shacks, miners and mining crews, a small mining head frame, and a horse team used to transport the dredge.
Earl (Lewis Earl) Grammer diaries, 1922-1948. USUAF402
The collection consists of the diaries of surveyor Earl (Lewis Earl) Grammer for the years 1922 to 1948. They contain his personal thoughts and describe his activities during this time. Topics include placer mining in the Dome Creek area near Fox, Alaska, in 1925.
B. B. Greenlee papers, 1931-1932. USUAFV5-36
The B.B. Greenlee Papers consists of photographs from 1931 to 1932 demonstrating various aspects of gold mining in Interior Alaska, mainly the Fairbanks region. Photographs depict operations along Gilmore and Butte Creeks as well as in Chatanika and Ester, Alaska, including hydraulic mining and placer mining. There is also a group photograph of students from the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines (now University of Alaska Fairbanks) in the spring of 1932. The manuscript portion of this collection consists of mining notes and a fee statement.
Arthur Hadley photograph collection, 1906-1921. USUAFV6-651
This collection contains mining photographs and pioneer life in Interior Alaska, specifically in the Miller House area, Independence Creek in the Central District, and the Moss-Hadley log cabin home, "Moss Cabin," on Porcupine Creek above Mammoth Creek.
Kavik Hahn photograph collection, circa 1901-1911. USUAFV3-301
The Kavik Hahn Photograph Collection consists of 30 photographs of Nome, Alaska, and the Nome region, most dating to circa 1901-1911. Depicted are mining operations, businesses and buildings (including building interiors), and people, both Alaska Native and non-Native.
George Cheever Hazelet papers, 1898-1902. USUAFV167
This collection contains a photocopy of George Cheever Hazelet's journal and legal documents. In the journal, Hazelet describes his travels to and work in the gold fields of the Copper River Basin from 1898 to 1902.
Herbert Heller papers, 1898-1966. USUAF171
Herbert Heller was an avid collector of historical material on Alaska, with emphasis on the gold-seeking pioneers of 1898.
Adolph and Peter Holtman papers, circa 1914-1930. USUAFV6-239
The Adolph and Peter Holtman Papers consist of letters sent by brothers Adolph and Peter Holtman from Fairbanks, Alaska, to relatives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, concerning mining and gardening in the Fairbanks region, Fairbanks-area weather, Christian Science, and family matters. Adolph Holtman resided in the Fairbanks region from circa 1904 to at least 1930.
Independence Mine photograph collection. undated. USUAFV6-660
The collection contains photographs of the Independence Mine.
Interior Alaska Gold Miners photograph collection, early 1900s. USUAFV6-662
The collection contains photographs of early miners and their families. There are identifications.
Will James diary, 1920-1930. USUAFV6-510
Diary of Will James describing his experiences as a miner in the Kobuk area.
Perry Judkins papers, circa 1897-1902. USUAF406
The Perry Judkins Papers consist of a series of personal letters between Judkins and his fiancée, Alice Weston, who resided in California; Judkins's journals of 1898 and 1899 reflecting life, river travel and mining activities in the Yukon River basin; a journal of Judkins's partner, Robert Chamberlin, covering January-May 1898; and a variety of personal notes and documents.
Kensington Mines collection, 1890-1910. USUAFV3-124.
The Waugaman - Kensington Mines Collection consists of engineering reports from 1890-1909, legal papers and photographs, the bulk of which are in a photograph album. The Kensington Mining Company consisted the Seward Gold Mining Company, Ophir Gold Mining Company, the Northern Belle Mining Company, and Nowell Mining and Milling Company, all of which are included in the engineering report, and 67 other claims in the Juneau mining district. Also included in the collection are materials relating to a claim dispute involving the Kensington Mines Company. The photograph album includes photographs of Juneau, Ketchikan, Angoon Bay, Sitka, and other southeastern Alaska locations. Subjects include Kensington Mine Company personnel, individual mines, company buildings, and mining equipment.
J. C. and Winnifred Kinney photographs, circa 1915-circa 1939. USUAFV3-269
The J. C. and Winnifred Kinney Photographs consist of 130 images of mining activities in the Livengood and Dome Creek, Alaska, region, the Fairbanks-Valdez Trail, and activities, landscapes, buildings, and people in Fairbanks and the surrounding area, 1915-1939.
Klondike and Alaska Gold Rush photographs, circa 1898-present. USUAFV6-724
This collection was created by the Archives to house photographs depicting life in Alaska and Yukon Territory during the Klondike and Alaska Gold Rush. Included are photographs of prospectors, mining scenes, travel to the gold fields and other images that relate to the northern gold rushes.
F. D. Knight papers, 1898-1900. USUAFV6-184
The F. D. Knight Papers consist of photographs, diaries, and news clippings documenting Knight's gold rush mining adventure in the vicinity of Rampart, Alaska, in the years 1898-1900. The 233 photographs include scenes from Knight's cross-country train trip to Seattle, his voyage from Seattle to Rampart and back, his everyday life and mining activities in the vicinity of Rampart, and his trip from Rampart to Dawson and Whitehorse, Yukon, as well as images of Alaska Natives and fellow miners encountered in his travels. The diaries record Knight's daily activities in brief entries covering the period from mid May 1898 through mid July 1899 and mid June through mid August 1900, and include sketches of the steam boiler apparatus he used to thaw the ground for mining. Photocopies of a small number of newspaper clippings provide background information.
H. M. "Max" Landmann diary, 1897-1899. USUAFV6-877
The H. M. "Max" Landmann Diary contains Max Landmann's personal diary when he was a miner at Circle City, Alaska, in 1897-1899.
Margaret Lentz photograph collection, circa 1904-1910. USUAFV6-405
The photographs depict primarily gold mining activities and locations in the interior of Alaska and the Yukon. Specific locations include Bonanza, Chatanika, Cleary, Dawson, Dominion, Engineers Creek, Fairbanks, and Hunker Creek. Some of the people shown are members of Lentz's family. Photographers include Albert Johnson and Wolfe. Many of the photographs are identified.
Hazel Lindberg collection, 1898-1973. USUAFV6-156
The Hazel Lindberg Collection consists of correspondence, notes, photographs, and newsclippings she compiled in preparation for a book she intended to write on Gold Rush pioneers. The notes are from her interviews with these pioneers, most of whom followed the Gold Rush to the Klondike and/or Nome, and contain biographical information as well as their stories. While most of the photographs are arranged by subject, some photos in which the provenance is known are included in the correspondence files as there may be a description of the photos in the correspondence. Photos, correspondence, and newsclippings accompany some of Lindberg's notebooks as well.
George P. MacGowan papers, 1858-1917. USUAFV3-71
The George P. MacGowan Papers consist of a diary, certificates, correspondence, and photographs from MacGowan's trip on the Yukon River in 1897 and 1898. MacGowan was a participant in the gold rush at Rampart, Alaska, and his Yukon trip records provide an account of life in that community. The collection also includes MacGowan's journals from 1904 to 1917, when he lived on the East Coast of the United States, and some documents relating to his father, Alexander MacGowan.
Grace Lowe papers, 1930-1990. USUAFV3-187
The Grace Lowe Papers consist primarily of legal papers and supporting documentation related to lawsuits filed by Grace Lowe to protect her interests in various properties and mining claims in the Fairbanks region and elsewhere in Interior Alaska. While the lawsuits date to the 1970s and 1980s, some of the supporting documentation dates as early as the 1930s.
Ralph E. MacKay collection, 1898-1973. USUAFV5-67.
The Ralph E. MacKay Collection consists primarily of historical images of Alaska and the Yukon. Subjects include the Klondike gold rush and life in Dawson, Yukon; gold mining on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska; copper mining in Alaska's Copper River Region and Prince William Sound, including the Kennecott mines, Ellamar, and Latouche; the Copper River and Northwestern Railway; and early views of Fairbanks, Cordova, Valdez, Nome, and other
Melvin and Donaldson mining papers, 1901-1930 USUAFV3-298
The Melvin and Donaldson Mining Papers consist of correspondence, notices, agreements and deeds, assay records, financial records, shipping records, blueprints, and mining equipment patents and catalogs. The materials relate primarily to the mining activities of William Melvin, Dr. A. B. Donaldson, and Alphonse L'Kievicz on Banner Creek (a tributary of the Tanana River) and its tributaries, Democrat, Republican, and Buckeye Creeks.
A. W. Newberry photograph album, 1915 USUAFV6-576
162 photographs of a mining investor's trip to Alaska and Yukon Territories, from May through December 1915. Images of mines, roadhouses, and towns, from Skagway to Fairbanks and other locations in Interior Alaska.
Reed Family papers, 1885-1968. USUAFV5-191.
Thomas Milburne Reed (1857-1928), a lawyer by training, participated in the Nome gold rush.
Reeves Brothers papers, 1898-1900. USUAFV3-178
The Reeves Brothers Papers consist of letters, telegrams, a diary, a photograph, and assorted receipts and ephemera documenting the participation of brothers Richard E. and George I. Reeves in the Alaska gold rush, 1898-1900. The collection includes a comb-bound transcription of the documents, titled "Alaska: The Gold Rush as Seen by the Reeves Brothers, 1898 to 1900," compiled by George I. Reeves, Kathryn R. Reeves, and R. Ralph Reeves.
Seiffert Family photographs, 1900s-1950s. USUAFV6-134
The Seiffert family was involved in mining activities in Alaska and British Columbia. Photographs in the collection document family members involvement in gold and silver mining as well as daily life in Nome and Hyder, Alaska and in Stewart, British Columbia and other locations from the early 1900s to the 1950s.
N. A. Shaw papers, 1898. USUAFV6-327
The N. A. Shaw Papers consist of four letters written by prospector N. A. Shaw to his uncle, Francis Sellick Jordan. The letters, written around 1898, describe Shaw's experiences in the Klondike and Alaska gold fields, most notably at this camp at Franklin Gulch, Alaska. Shaw describes the details of filing claims and working a prospect, as well as describing town and camp life and the hardships of prospecting in an extreme environment.
John J. Steinmetz papers, 1898-1901. USUAFV3-304
The John J. Steinmetz Papers consist of typed transcriptions of thirty-three letters, most written by Steinmetz, and photocopies of two of the original letters. In them, Steinmetz describes his journey from Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Alaska by rail and ship in the spring of 1898, and his activities and observations as a prospector in the Copper River and Goodpaster River regions of Alaska in 1898-1899.
Norman Stines papers, circa 1900-circa. 1930. USUAFV6-1051
The Norman Stines Papers contain reports, correspondence, maps, and photographs regarding mining and the beginning of the F.E. Company. The F.E. Company was the local subsidiary of the U.S. Smelting, Refining and Mining Company, running gold dredges in interior Alaska.
William Sulzer Alaska mining papers, 1901-1941 [bulk]. USUAF40
The William Sulzer Alaska Mining Papers consist of business correspondence, financial records, and legal documents relating primarily to Sulzer's mining interests in the Chandalar Mining District of Alaska (Alaska-Chandalar Mining Company, Chandalar Gold Company, Chandalar Gold Mines, Inc.), but also to his interests in Southeast Alaska and the White River Mining District. The collection includes an album of 106 photographs dating to 1926, many of them well identified. They depict mining claims, persons, and scenery of Southeast Alaska, the Chandalar region, and other Alaskan locations.
Florence Tobin Thornton Family papers, 1899-1986. USUAFV5-239
The Florence Tobin Thornton Family Papers consist of several letters (1899-1900), a diary (1903-04), and other writings of August L. Tobin, who prospected for gold on the upper reaches of Alaska's Koyukuk River from 1898 to 1918; correspondence, assay reports, location notices, and financial records of Laurance C. Thornton's Solo Mining Company of Ketchikan, Alaska, which worked gold claims near Hyder, Alaska, in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Thomas P. Weatherell papers, 1913-1935. USUAF306
The Thomas P. Weatherell Papers consist of a diary (1913-1916), photographs, and records of the Talkeetna Commercial Club (1918-1919, 1934-1935). Weatherell's diary is a daily log of his prospecting and mining on Gold Creek in the Talkeetna, Alaska, region between late February/early March and September or October of each year. Entries pertain to weather and trail conditions, daily chores, prospecting and mining operations, and the comings and goings of other local miners. The photographs, which date between the 1910s and the 1930s, include images of Thomas Weatherell and other miners, Talkeetna, hydraulic mining, mining camps, and freighting. The Talkeetna Commercial Club records include minutes, correspondence, and a membership list. The club, which functioned as a chamber of commerce, acted as an advocate for the construction of roads, telephone lines, schools, and other amenities to serve Talkeetna and the mining camps on Peters Creek, Cache Creek, Gold Creek, and other nearby streams.
James "Jim" Clifford Wilkins photographs, 1947-1955. USUAFV6-912
The James "Jim" Clifford Wilkins Photographs contain images of hydraulic mining at Dome Creek and other mining operations in interior Alaska. Subjects include mining activities, mining equipment, and miners including personnel from the Fairbanks Exploration Company.
Quincy E. Williams papers, 1898-1903. USUAFV5-176
This collection consists primarily of a series of letters written by farmer-turned-miner Quincy Williams to his wife and family back in Grant County, Wisconsin, in the years 1898-1903. The letters describe more than five years of wanderings in the Yukon Territory and Alaska in search of gold.
William J. Woleben papers, 1900. USUAFV6-218
The collection contains a small diary [May 26-October 5, 1900], a transcript of the diary and 51 photographs. The diary and photographs document Woleben's travels to Nome, Alaska and his activities in Nome as a beach miner.
Woodchopper/Tofty Mining District photograph collection, 1899-1957. USUAFV6-24
The bulk of this photograph collection depicts individuals, mining operations, and town scenes from the Woodchopper and Tofty mining districts, near Manley Hot Springs.
J. N. Wyman photograph album, 1898-1899. USUAFV6-412
This small collection documents life and travel during the gold rush to the interior region of Alaska in the Alatna and Koyukuk River regions. Places shown include Beaver City, Bergman, Holy Cross, Nulato, and Rocky Bottom Creek.
Yukon River photographs, 1898-1899. USUAFV6-508
The Yukon River Photographs contain images of prospectors and members of the Galesburg-Alaska Mining and Developing Company, formed by Wyman and others, on their quest for gold taking them from St. Michael to Beaver, Alaska, along the Yukon River with pictures taken also along the Alatna River. This collection shows scenes of life on the trail and in camps for the prospectors.

Credits

This guide is supported in whole or in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Alaska State Library.