Downtown Juneau in Juneau Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Hard Rock Miners
In the late 1800’s, compressed – air machine drills replaced hand drills as the principle tools of hard rock miners. This development enabled miners to handle great quantities of ore at an acceptable low cost. As a result, lodes containing low-grade ore deposit, such as those in the Juneau Goldbelt, became profitable to mine. In this sculpture the pneumatic drill is a generalized version of many different types used over the years. The drills were fed air by hose from the surface steam engines and used pistons to work the “steels” back and forth in the drill holes. Traditionally a pattern of seven holes and charges would be employed when cutting a tunnel. A team of miners drilled the face of the tunnel though a single eight or ten hour shift and blasted it just before quitting. The sequence of cleanup, more drilling and blasting would begin anew in the next shift. The Alaska-Juneau Mine, which opened in 1897, ceased operating in 1944, beginning and end to an era. The total output of the Juneau Goldbelt was over seven million ounces of gold.
Sculpture by Juneau artist Ed Way
Erected by Borough of Juneau.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
Location. 58° 17.94′ N, 134° 24.336′ W. Marker is in Juneau, Alaska, in Juneau Borough. It is in Downtown Juneau. Marker can be reached from Marine Way near South Franklin Street, on the left when traveling west. The sculpture and marker are located in Marine Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Juneau AK 99801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Patsy Ann: her history (within shouting distance of this marker); Patsy Ann: her statue (within shouting distance of this marker); Archie Van Winkle (within shouting distance of this marker); Lighthouses of Alaska (within shouting distance of this marker); Cape Decision (within shouting distance of this marker); Five Finger (within shouting distance of this marker); Sentinel Island (within shouting distance of this marker); Mary Island (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Juneau.
Also see . . .
1. flickr Hard Rock Miners. (Submitted on May 29, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
2. Spirit of Nature. A photo of the sculpture. (Submitted on May 29, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,226 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 29, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 3. submitted on June 2, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4. submitted on September 30, 2013, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.