Towns in Alaska only came to exist if there was something there to attract people. Of course this is a land that is rich with natural resources. Fishing, logging, and mining have been a mainstay for Alaskan’s since the first people arrived here.
Juneau is one of these places. And while it has many rich resources, it was mining that put this city on the map.
First Strike
The city of Juneau was first settled by the members of the Auke tribe of Tlingit Indians. At that time, the city was originally referred to as Harrisburg. But with the discovery of gold in the area, the town was established in 1880 and was renamed as Juneau, after the gold prospector Joe Juneau who was accompanied by Richard Harris at Gold Creek in Silver Bow Basin.
The Gold Rush to Juneau
Just like in many other places, there was a gold rush upon the discovery of the mineral in this particular area. Access was difficult.
Eventually several placer and lode mines were established. While the placers were rich, they were mined out relatively quickly. It was the lode deposits that proved to be much more valuable.
The Treadwell Mine Complex
Among these major lode discoveries was one of spectacular importance. In fact it became the largest gold mine in the world at that particular time. It was known as the Treadwell Mine, a complex of three firms and four lode mines on Douglas Island.
The other large mine included the Alaska Juneau, otherwise known as the AJ Mine.
Besides the major players in the mining industry such as Treadwell a complex of four mines namely, (Treadwell, Ready Bullion, the Mexican, the Seven-Hundred-Foot) and AJ Mine, there were other smaller mines such as the Sumdum Chief, the Crystal, Comet, Jualin, Silver Queen and Eagle River mines that played a significant role in the extraction of gold in the region.
The production of gold was made easier with the availability of water power, as well as transportation, which were facilitated by the steep, wet, timber-covered, seaside mountain set up.
The Mines Produced for Decades
By the mid-1910s, Treadwell was one of the most advanced mines, in terms of technological operations at that time. The mine is reported to have been running its operations on 960 stamps, which were used to grind the ore. Consequently, the tunnels were reaching the amazing depths of 2,400 feet below the surface and well below sea level.
The miner adopted some of the most advanced techniques of mining operations on a large scale. One mechanical wonder was the ability to keep the tunnels dry as they advanced will beyond sea level. Another advancement at the Treadwell Mine was the introduction of low-grade gold mining, in which gold was able to be profitably mined from low paying ores.
Troubles at Treadwell – 1922 Shutdown
It is reported that before the mining operations were shutdown in 1922, following the collapse of the tunnels by floods in 1917, about 2000 miners were employed at the mine.
Well, sometimes the unfortunate circumstances of one create amazing opportunities for another. So was the case with the Treadwell Mine. It is said that, after its closure, the AJ Mine became the most prominent and influential mine after having been through years of losses and labor challenges, which limited productivity. As a result, in the mid-1920s with 600 workers, the AJ Mine begun to make profit.
The AJ Mine – Active Until WW2
The AJ Mine became the major player in sustaining Juneau’s economy for a number of decades. In the 1930s, it is known to have had about 1000 employees and the mine played an important role in shielding Juneau from the impacts of the Great Depression.
However, they say whatever goes up must come down, and so was AJ Mine’s dominance in mining operations in Juneau. Due to the economic challenges brought forth by the World War II, AJ Mine was shutdown in 1944.
Also Read: The Great Alaskan Gold Rush to the Beaches of Nome
Mining in Juneau
While there may not be a lot of big mines operating in Juneau today, visitors during the summer can still do a bit of panning along Gold Creek near the site of the original gold strike at Juneau.
You can also explore some of the the early mines. Mining is not what it once was, but the mountains around Juneau produced million of ounces of gold.
Next: The Largest Gold Nugget Found in Alaska
Also Read: Minerals Associated with Natural Gold