Girdwood near Anchorage, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Crow Creek Boys
Photographed by Leslie Eudy, July 23, 2026
1. Crow Creek Boys Marker
The Crow Creek Boys
A motley group of quarrelsome stampeders formed a partnership in 1898 to mine gold on Crow Creek near present-day Girdwood. This volatile combination of personalities hampered production at the mine. After the partners sold the mine, it became the most successful on Turnagain Arm.
Racing to Stake Claims
In early 1898, Sunrise miners Chris Spillum and Billy Perry raced other miners across ice-choked Turnagain Arm in an open boat to stake recently abandoned claims on Crow Creek. Wading through deep snow, they beat the others and staked the claims for themselves and seven partners, then formed the Crow Creek Consolidated Mining Company. Pick and shovel mining got underway in the spring, and by the fall the partners had found $10,000 in gold.
Squabbling Partners
Called the “Crow Creek Boys” by their contemporaries, they were a colorful bunch. Only Spillum and Paul Buckley were physically fit enough to shovel gravel all day. Perry and George Davies had little mining experience. Salesman W.C. Jack was new to manual labor. Fritz Fenstermacher spent his time telling others what to do. “Professor” Ralph
this page online
The Boys Sold Out
In 1899, Brooks sold his share to California engineer Simon Wible, who had brought large-scale hydraulic mining to the area. Billy Perry later drowned in Turnagain Arm and mining engineer Andrew Nesbet took his place in the company. A decade later, the Crow Creek partners sold their mine to Nome mining engineers C.M. Nutter and Dick Dawson. Over the years, the Crow Creek Mine became one of the largest gold producing mines on Turnagain Arm. Crow Creek is still a producing mine and some of the early camp buildings remain in use.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 60° 55.955′ N, 149° 19.346′ W. Marker is near Anchorage, Alaska. It is in Girdwood. It is on Alaska 1, on the right when traveling
Photographed by Leslie Eudy, July 23, 2026
2. Crow Creek Boys Marker Wide View
Regionally, this marker is in the Alaska Railroad Corridor, in the Athabascan Region, in the Prince William Sound, and in Southcentral Alaska. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sunrise City (here, next to this marker); Traveling Tikahtu (approx. 5½ miles away); Gold Discoveries Trigger Stampede (approx. 11.2 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2026, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 10, 2026, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
