uneau, Alaska was founded in 1880 after Joe Juneau and
Richard Harris discovered placer gold in Silverbow Basin. This discovery
brought a rush of propectors into the region and by 1881 the first claims were
staked over the world famous Treadwell Dike. Mining operations grew steadily
over the next 36 years bringing miners, engineers and financiers from around
the world. Then catastrophe struck one day in April, 1917 and three of the four
mines comprising the Treadwell Complex flooded. The great enterprise came to a
screeching halt.
You are about to embark on a journey through the artifacts and historical landmarks that can still be seen today at the Treadwell site. So come along for a snapshoot look at one of the mines that put Juneau, Alaska on the map in the 1880s.
