Deposits were discovered in 1905, located by Peter Romanoff, Andrew Dixon, and Bernard Hirst, all of Sitka. Bernard Hirst bought out partners in 1917. In 1920, D. J. Williams was retained to make an examination of property for the Company. 1921 company officers: president, W.A. Castleton; vice-president, D.J. Williams; and directors: Goon Dip, Lew G. Kay, C.W. Fries, and A.V. Williams. Mining began in 1922 and was practically continuous until World War II. Production through 1938 was about 87,980 oz. gold and 20,000 oz. silver; probably some lead and possibly some copper recovered at smelter. Only one of the major ore shoots crops cut at surface where it is too lean to mine. Mine developed on at least 12 levels. Much of the ore was ribbon rock (layers of quartz separated by thin bands of slaty material). Located in Chichagof district, on Chichagof Island.

-Source: Cobb, Edward H., Summary of Refrences to Mineral Occurrences (Other than Mineral Fuels and Contstruction Materials) in the Sitka Quadrangle, Alaska. U.S./ Department of Interior. Geological Survey, 1978 (Open-file Report 78-450)

The Hirst Chichagof mine was located about 50 miles north of Sitka; the mining company’s property consisted of 37 claims on approximately 700 acres on Doolth Mountain. -Source: UAF Hirst Chichagof Mining Company Collection Scope and Content note.