History of Mining on
Upper Fish Creek,
Fairbanks, Alaska
This 1994 report has been reprinted by Fairbanks
Gold Mining, Inc. The report presents an overview of NLUR’s research on
the cultural resources of the upper Fish Creek area, located about 15 miles
northeast of Fairbanks, on the north side of Gilmore Dome. Today this is
the site of the Fort Knox Gold Mine, the largest open pit gold mine in
Alaska. The Fish Creek area is significant in the history of the Fairbanks
Mining District in that it contains evidence of all the major phases of
the nearly 100 years of mining in the area. The Fish Creek drainage included
everything from some of Felix Pedro’s original mining claims and early
“High Grade Bonanza” period prospector camps (1901-1909), through the Fairbanks
Exploration Company’s dredge and water diversion ditches, to lode mines
and the modern placer mining operations. Other sites found in the area
include a Prohibition-era moonshine still, mills, residential cabins, F.E.
company housing, and old wagon roads.
This publication is the result of Fairbanks
Gold Mining Inc.’s compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.
Documenting the history of Fish Creek involved oral history, archival research,
and historical archaeology. Former residents of the area were interviewed
and original maps, engineering drawings, and company correspondence were
consulted. Information on the historic mining properties was also gathered
through field surveys and archaeological excavations. Mining equipment
and unique features of each historic property were documented to preserve
information in a permanent record. For more details, see also the Fort
Knox Project Cultural Resources Report, August 1994, prepared by Northern
Land Use Research, Inc.
Report title: History of Mining on Upper Fish
Creek, Fairbanks, Alaska, (1994) by Andrew Higgs and Robert Sattler,
Northern Land Use Research, Inc. Report copyright © 1994 by Fairbanks
Gold Mining, Inc. Fairbanks.
To obtain further information or to request
a copy of the report, contact:
Andrew Higgs
Northern Land Use Research, Inc.
P.O. Box 83990
Fairbanks, Alaska 99708
Phone: (907) 474-9684
Price: free; please add $1.50 for postage and
handling.
If you are interested in any of our technical
reports or publications, send an email request to
Northern
Land Use Research, Inc., nlur@alaska.net
Back