Goldstream in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Gold Dredge No. 8
Gold Stream Valley 1928 - 1959
| | National Historic Mechancial Engineering Landmark | |
Photographed by Thomas Fehring, August 30, 2017
1. Gold Dredge Number 8, Gold Stream Valley Marker
Dredges were brought in to mine gold-bearing deposits in the Fairbanks mining district after 1920. This bucket-line or ladder dredge has 68 buckets, each with a capacity of 6 cubit feet. The bucket line was driven by a 150 horsepower motor that enabled excavation to depths of 28 feet. The gold-bearing gravel was sorted and washed on the dredge.
Dredging became possible in the 1920's after the United States Melting, Refining and Mining Company (USSR&M) brought water to the area via the 90-mile Davidson Ditch. The dredge was built by Bethlehem Steel's Shipbuilding Division in Pennsylvania and assembled in the Fox area in 1928. It operated each year until 1959.
Erected 1986 by American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (Marker Number 83.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.
Location. 64° 56.276′ N, 147° 39.193′ W. Marker is in Goldstream, Alaska, in Fairbanks North Star Borough. It can
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Alaska Railroad Corridor, in the Athabascan Region, and in Interior Alaska. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pipeline History (approx. 0.9 miles away); James A. Maple (approx. 0.9 miles away); Pipeline Facts (approx. 0.9 miles away); The F.E. [Fairbanks Exploration] Company (approx. 6.3 miles away); We Flew in the Same Sky (approx. 6.7 miles away); Women in Wartime (approx. 6.7 miles away); Home Front to Front Lines (approx. 6.7 miles away); The Artist (approx. 6.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Goldstream.
More about this marker. The marker is attached to one of the steel buckets
Photographed by Thomas Fehring, August 30, 2017
2. Gold Dredge Number 8, Gold Stream Valley, Fairbanks, AL
View of gold dredge no. 8, taken in 2017. The bucket ladder can be clearly shown.
Regarding Gold Dredge No. 8. A preserved example of a historical gold dredge as employed world-wide to mechanically extract gold from a stream-bed. Also known as a 'placer dredge.' These dredges were an efficient and economical means of extracting large quantities of gold (and other ores) from steams.
The dredge is open to the public and tours are available for a small fee.
Also see . . . Gold Dredge No.8. Come to Fairbanks. The Gold Dredge website. (Submitted on December 23, 2019.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2019, by Thomas Fehring of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 815 times since then and 43 times this year. Last updated on January 8, 2020, by Thomas Fehring of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Photos: 1. submitted on December 23, 2019, by Thomas Fehring of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on December 22, 2019, by Thomas Fehring of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
