Downtown Juneau in Juneau Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Gold!
Downtown Historic District
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 25, 2024
1. Gold! Marker
Hard rock mining in Juneau yielded an ounce of gold for every 20 tons of ore.
On the mountainside above South Franklin [Street] are the ruins of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company Mill where mining history was made. Instead of using giant stamps to crush the ore, it was tumbled with steel balls. That technology, pioneered here in the 1920s, is the method used throughout the world today. From the far side of Mount Roberts, trains snaked through miles of tunnels to bring ore to the mill. Leftover rock from the mill was used to fill tidelands, creating much needed flat land along the waterfront. The A-J Mine produced $80 million worth of gold from 1892 to 1944.
Across the Gastineau Channel on Douglas Island, the Treadwell Gold Mining Company operated the largest gold mine in the world between 1882 and 1917. Nearly $70 million worth of gold was extracted from the Treadwell properties. The output of the local mines made Juneau the undisputed gold mining capital of the world.
[Top photo caption reads]
The Alaska June Gold Mining Company Mill, as it stood on the side of Mount Roberts.
[Bottom photo caption reads]
A representation of the yields of the Treadwell Gold Mining Company.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce
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Location. 58° 17.811′ N, 134° 24.13′ W. Marker is in Juneau, Alaska, in Juneau Borough. It is in Downtown Juneau. It can be reached from Peoples Wharf. Marker is along the waterfront wharf fence. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 432 South Franklin Street, Juneau AK 99801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska, in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, the Inside Passage, 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 walking distance of this marker: A Capital in a Rainforest (here, next to this marker); The History Around You (here, next to this marker); Downtown Juneau (here, next to this marker); Corner of Front & Seward (here, next to this marker); Corner of Front & Franklin (here, next to this marker); Changing South Franklin (here, next to this marker); People's Wharf (here, next to this marker); The Early Days (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Juneau.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 25, 2024
2. Gold! Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 199 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 2, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
