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to enter the region. They are credited as the original discoverers of gold on Jump Creek, a small tributary which originates from the west and joins Candle Creek, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) above
Kiwalik River. These four men staked claims on the most promising portions of the main stream, each staking one claim on the lower ends of the tributaries, thus acquiring rights to a considerable amount of ground. Other miners arrived within a few months. During the summer of 1902, mining occurred between Potato Creek and Kiwalik River, resulting in a large amount of the easily extractable gold being recovered. In the following year, prospecting decreased. About twelve small plants were at work in 1916–17 on Candle Creek and its tributaries. Placer mining, including dredging, boomed till the 1950s. According to reported figures, the gold mined in the creek was more than 600,000 ounces. Candle Creek's name is derived from a natural phenomenon noted by the mining prospectors during the spring months, when the snow-covered twigs on the creek bank resemble candles.
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explored the more readily accessible streams of Seward
Peninsula. Candle Creek was staked in July 1901, by Enos Thomas, Alexander Patterson, Robert W. Snyder, and James Blankenship. Although Blankenship was probably the first miner to drive stakes on Candle Creek, the other three men were the first
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is about 13 miles (21 km) away. The creek's name is attributed to the resemblance of the trees on the banks of the creek to candles when they are covered with snow. With the discovery of gold in 1901, Candle Creek's reputation as a top gold-yielding site was fixed.
256:. It is 9 miles (14 km) south of the sand pit on which the village of Kiwalik is situated. The stream occupies a broad, shallow valley with only mildly sloping sides, making its movement more difficult. In addition to gold, other
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Candle Creek is situated at the head of the main divide between the north and south drainages of the Seward
Peninsula. It follows a north-northeast course, joining Kiwalik River at Candle, 6 miles (9.7 km) above the head of
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concretions. Other minerals found in placer gold are arsenopyrite, large amount of pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite, ilmenite, rutile, garnet, cerussite and sometimes also
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300:. Bean and Blank creeks are eastern tributaries, while Jump, Patterson, Potato, Ptarmigan, Thomas, and Willow creeks are western tributaries.
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was discovered on Candle Creek both in the river bed and the valley. The geological setting of the valley is attributed to late
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411:: G.C. Martin's "Mineral Resources of Alaska: Report on Progress of Investigations in 1917" (1919)
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which is covered by a thick mantle of 12–18 feet (3.7–5.5 m) of gold-bearing creek
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in the form of dark organic matter. Gold was also discovered in gravel in
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Mineral
Resources of Alaska: Report on Progress of Investigations in 1917
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490:(Public domain ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. pp.
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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519:(Public domain ed.). Government Printing Office. p.
460:(Public domain ed.). Govt. print off. pp. 50, 61–
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The
Fairhaven gold placers, Seward Peninsula, Alaska
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238:is less than a mile away, while the village of
47:Location of the mouth of Candle Creek in Alaska
332:are the formations recorded, marked by quartz
352:vegetation. Placer gold finds are covered by
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581:Rivers of Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
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372:Soon after the discovery of gold at
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427:Mineral Industry of Alaska in 1938
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516:Geographic dictionary of Alaska
576:Rivers of the Seward Peninsula
484:Martin, George Curtis (1919).
137: • coordinates
16:River in Alaska, United States
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424:Smith, Philip Sidney (1939).
340:. The river bed is of schist
109:Physical characteristics
454:Moffit, Fred Howard (1905).
127: • location
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513:Baker, Marcus (1906).
159:65.91444°N 161.91972°W
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164:65.91444; -161.91972
548:"Candle Creek Mine"
179:Basin features
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552:. Retrieved
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274:chalcopyrite
262:arsenopyrite
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200:Candle Creek
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186:River system
22:Candle Creek
378:prospectors
314:Precambrian
310:placer gold
162: /
150:161°55′11″W
56:Native name
570:Categories
385:References
354:iron oxide
224:U.S. state
147:65°54′52″N
362:magnetite
358:ironstone
334:stringers
318:Paleozoic
308:In 1901,
298:cerussite
278:magnetite
247:Geography
212:tributary
208:Kuugaaluk
61:Kuugaaluk
554:23 March
498:21 March
464:21 March
434:21 March
316:, early
282:ilmenite
258:minerals
76:Location
527:7 April
346:gravels
342:bedrock
330:schists
304:Geology
240:Kiwalik
222:of the
214:of the
204:Iñupiaq
81:Country
68:Inupiaq
494:, 391–
350:tundra
322:Quartz
320:eras.
296:, and
294:garnet
290:zircon
286:rutile
270:galena
266:pyrite
236:Candle
230:. The
228:Alaska
131:Alaska
121:
118:Source
103:Candle
93:Alaska
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89:State
556:2013
529:2013
500:2013
466:2013
436:2013
374:Nome
336:and
328:and
326:mica
99:City
521:121
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
