The Seward gateway., 1915-10-08
BITS OF EARLY
JUNEAU HIST0R Y


 In the Governors office is a copy of the Alaska Free Press, published here February 12, 1887, which contains some interesting bits of early history. Among the items are gleaned the following:
 Geo. F. Rily built the first house It was framed in Sitka and brought on the steamer Favorite." The first log house was built by John Olds. Thomas Keenan and another man. It was known as the "Flag of All Ma tions" because miners coming in stay ed there a day or so while looking around to get a place to build Peter Eussard brought the first sailing vessel, named "The Flatiron" She was laden with general merchandise. principally Siwash sugar and black strap molasses. He was 35 days coming from Sitka, with an Indian crew. He also built the first build ing used as a store.
 By Christmas of 1880 the popuIa, tion amounted to about 90 people 
 Discovery of Gold Creek
 The Juneau City Mining Record, Vol. 1, No. 1 of April }, 1888, a copy of which is also in the Governors of flee says of Juneau:
 "In the year 1874 Joe Juneau and Dave Alderman and two others, whose names We have been unable to obtain, passed through and prospect ed a part of what is known as the Harris Mining District. They found gold in small quantities, and in one or two places obtained good paying pros poets, but it was not followed up at that time.
 During the summer of 1880, NIT. George F. Pitz, then superintendent of the Alaska Gold and Silver Mining Company, as an authorized agent Of the Hall Brothers of San Francisco, sent out several parties from Sitka to prospect the mainland and the ad- jacent islands for gold and silver. Four of the parties were unsuccess- ful, but the fifth, composed of R. T. Harris and Joe Juneau, after ted ious and discouraging search, were returning disheartened While re- tracing their course along Gastineau Channel, they discovered some noun tain streams which had before escap- ed their observation. On one of these streams they found good prospects, and ascending it, they found rich de- posits of earth and gravel and one gulck in particular literally paved with quartz, the richness of which was evident from the fact that the rock was fairly loaded with free gold plainly to be seen with the naked eye. Very little time and labor sufliced to satisfy them that they "had struck 1t rich" Collecting some of the speci- mems they returned to Sitka, having named the stream that had guided them to fortune Gold Creek, and the wonderful gorge which contained the mass of gold ore Quartz Gulch. The valley through which Gold Creek wound it's way was named Silver Bow Basin. after a similarly situated dis trict in Montana.
 "It was not until the middle of the winter (December,) however, that the first party arrived on the spot des- tined soon to become a scene of ac- tivity, beftting the metropolis of the Northwest.
 "Edmond Bean was the first to ar rive, in company with party Of natives; next came the steam launch of the U. S. s. Jamestown" with the officers of the vessel accompanied by J. D. Sage, Miller, John Dix, George F.. Pitz, and Nat. Hilton; Harris and Juneau also returning with the party. The third party consisted of Jack Olds, Pat McClinchey, Tom Kiernan, Wm. Bennett, John McKinnon, Hugh Campbell, Walter Pierce, Washington Barnes, Mike Gibbons, Chas. Wells, and Professor Moore. Next came Mike Powers, Luke Nolan, James Fall lon. Mike Ariquitte, Mike Dunn and Mike Hays.
 "The fifth and last party that ar rived before the close of the year consisted of Frank Berry, John Prior,
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