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Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company Records, 1880-2000

 Collection
Identifier: MS 999

Content Description

The collection includes rather complete records from the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company (A.J.) which also includes mines cooperatively owned or purchased by A.J. These mines include Alaska Gastineau (Perseverance), Alaska Treadwell, Ebner, Silverbow (Nowell), Kensington, and Echo Bay. Various other smaller mining operations also gradually funneled into A.J.

The A.J. properties, including company records, were eventually purchased by Alaska Electric Light and Power Company. AELP archived the records until they were transferred to the Alaska State Library in the summer of 2000. The oldest records are from mines begun in the early 1880’s such as Groundhog, Paris, Fuller, Johnson Milling & Mining, and Dora, Fuller being the first.

The collection also contains photographs and an indexed map and drawing collection.

Dates

  • 1880-2000

Conditions Governing Access

Most of the collection is unrestricted, some parts of the collection are restricted until 2025.

Biographical / Historical

History of the Organization

The history of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company (A.J.) begins indirectly with the discovery of gold at Sumdum and Windham Bay in 1870. This was followed by discoveries in Silver Bow Basin in 1880 by Richard Harris and Joe Juneau. In 1881 John Treadwell, staked by a San Francisco company purchased the Paris claim on Douglas Island for $400. He set up a five-stamp test mill. In 1883 the company set up a 120-stamp mill, then a wharf and chlorination plant. The mill was operating at full capacity milling 300 tons of ore by the summer of 1885. In 1889 John Treadwell sold his interests to the Alaska Treadwell Gold Mining Company.

In early 1897 the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company was incorporated under the laws of West Virginia. The company purchased 23 patented claims in the Silver Bow Basin between Perseverance and Ebner mines for lode mining low grade gold ore. In 1900 Frederick W. Bradley purchased a major interest in A.J. holdings. At this time Bradley was mining engineer and president of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan silver-lead mine in Idaho. He became president of A.J. and president and consulting engineer of the Treadwell mines group. Robert A. Kinzie was resident engineer for both mines until Philip R. Bradley, brother of F.W. Bradley, became resident manager from 1914-1920 and later, consulting engineer.

The A.J. and Treadwell were considered together because of stockholding interests and integrated management. The corporate office for both mines was in the Mills Building in San Francisco as was the Alaska Gastineau. Offices and records were physically located at Treadwell until 1922 when the Ready Bullion mine closed. At this time the offices and records moved across the Gastineau Channel to the site of the A.J. operations located in a blue metal building next to the steam plant.

Eventually, the operations of Alaska Gastineau (Perseverance) and A.J. mines were producing more than Treadwell. By 1916 the Alaska Gastineau mill was crushing 12,000 tons of ore each day. The 1917 cave-in slowed down Treadwell production although the Ready Bullion mine still operated until 1922. In spite of the Treadwell closing, by 1928 Juneau was the richest gold-producing location in the world. A few decades later, in 1944, the A.J. closed as a result of the World War II labor shortage which escalated production costs above gold values. So ended the glory days of Juneau’s mining history.

[A more complete history can be found in Hard Rock Gold by David and Brenda Stone from which the above was taken.]

Extent

1500 Linear Feet (1500 linear feet)

750 Cubic Feet (750 cubic feet ) : Map cases

Language of Materials

English

Processing Information

The records were arranged in series by the various mines that Alaska Juneau eventually bought. These mines include Alaska Gastineau (Perseverance), Alaska Treadwell, Ebner, Silverbow (Nowell), Kensington, and Echo Bay. Various other smaller mining operations also gradually funneled into A.J. Subseries are records that emanated from the various offices and include such topics as correspondence, employee records, accident reports, and annual reports. Records are described at the folder level. The extensive collection of maps and drawings was re-housed in steel map cases.

The collection is arranged by the various mines – the Alaska-Juneau or AJ; the Alaska Gastineau or AG, the Treadwell or T, the Ebner or E, the Kensington or K; and Echo Bay Mines or EB. Within each mine are numbered series.

To find an item go to the section of the MS 999 that has the mine. Then look for the box or other item. The next number will be a file to look within the box. If there is no file folder number then the file folder will be found by its file folder name.

For example – if you are looking for AJ lead concentrates you would see: AJ2-15 J-38 Lead concentrates, 1914-1957. The mine is AJ, the series is 2, the box number is 15 and the file folder name is J-38 Lead concentrates, 1914-1957.

Another example AG9-1-2 is a historical photograph. The mine is AG, the series is 9, the file folder is 1, the photo number is 2.

12th Air Force Photo: LOT 13105 15th Air Force Command: LOT 13105 324th Service Corp.: LOT 13105 A.L. Adams Photo Studio--Atlanta, Ga.: LOT 13076 AAA Agricultural Adjustment Agency by Cooper: LOT 13121
Title
Finding aid for the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company Records, 1880-2000
Status
In Progress
Author
Prepared by: Gladi Kulp Oct. 2000 ; Revised by: Alea Oien Aug. 2008 ; ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Freya Anderson
Date
2019 May
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Finding Aids Repository

Contact:
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)