The first gold discovery in Alaska was in 1848 by a Russian geologist named Petr Doroshin on the Kenai Penninsula. When word of this discovery made its way to the California mining camps, many prospectors started migrating north. Along the way, gold was discovered around Sitka, which ultimately resulted in the formation of Alaska's first mining district in 1879. Many other discoveries were made from the 1880s to the 1920s. The largest were around the cities of Juneau, Nome and Fairbanks. One of the best-known discoveries was in Iditarod in 1909 and 1910. The famous dog sled race retraces the supply and mail delivery routes used at the time.
Traveling to gold rush areas was a challenge. Many came by ship while others traveled by land. Alaska offers some the roughest terrain imaginable. During the initial rushes, most miners used undeveloped trails. These passes were hazardous to travel. In the winter, prospectors were hampered by deep snow, ice, and avalanches. In the spring and fall, the trails turned to deep mud. In the summer, jagged rocks slowed travel.
Initially, gold mining was done by "panning." Prospectors would dip a pan in a stream or river, allow the rocks and sediment sink to the bottom and pick out the gold. Soon more sophisticated methods were used, including hydraulic mining. Hydraulic mining used high-pressure water to wash soil away and the residue was collected and sifted for gold. Eventually, gold mining included digging tunnels into the ground.
Daily life in the gold fields was certainly not easy. Most miners and prospectors lived in tents. Sanitation was not a priority. In areas where there were hundreds or thousands of prospectors, tent cities were erected. Merchants sold prospecting supplies, food, whiskey and women at highly inflated prices. Many merchants made more money than the prospectors.
Mining came to a halt during World War II. Due to the price of gold after the war ($35 an ounce), it was not cost-effective to start up mining operations again. When the U.S. went off the gold standard in the 1970s, the price soared and mines opened up again. Today, Alaskan mines produce over 725,000 troy ounces of gold per year, accounting for 15 percent of the state's mining revenue.
