Wiley, Perry
Porcupine Mining District Discovery
In 1898, prospectors Mix Silva, Edward Findley, and Perry Wiley, who had been grubstaked by Jack Dalton, discovered placer gold on Porcupine Creek north of Haines near the Dalton Trail. Following the discovery, the Porcupine Mining District was formally organized on October 22, 1898.
On November 5, 1898, Dalton and his three prospectors located the Discovery Claim. Additional claims were subsequently located by Dalton and his business partners, E. B. Hanley and John Malony.
The district experienced a stampede in 1899 as prospectors rushed to the area. Gold was discovered in nearby creeks, and additional deposits of gold and copper were found as far as sixty miles away, including in the Rainy Hollow district in Canada. During the first year of mining, gold production was reportedly worth approximately $50,000, of which about $40,000 came from Dalton’s Discovery Claim.
The deposits in the district were rich but fairly deep, requiring significant infrastructure to mine effectively. Miles of ditches and flumes were constructed to supply water for hydraulic lifts, sometimes called gravel elevators, where miners processed the gravel to recover gold.
Commercial support for the new district was supplied by the Porcupine Trading Company, organized by Dalton, Hanley, and Malony on August 1, 1899. The company imported mining equipment and extended liberal credit to other miners operating in the district.
In 1900, Dalton and his partners shipped in approximately 300 tons of equipment and supplies. The mines operated profitably until about 1905, when a major flood destroyed much of the mining infrastructure. Recognizing that most of the easily recovered gold had likely been extracted, Dalton, Hanley, and Malony sold their interests at a profit in 1907.
Source
Alaska Mining Hall of Fame
Findley, Edward
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Primary Name: Findley, Edward
Filed as: Findley, Edward
Also known as: Edward Findley
Occupation / Association: Prospector; miner; discoverer of placer gold on Porcupine Creek; Porcupine Mining District discovery party
Associated places: Porcupine Creek, Alaska; Haines, Alaska; Dalton Trail; Rainy Hollow district, British Columbia
Keywords: Edward Findley, Porcupine Creek gold discovery, Porcupine Mining District, Dalton Trail prospectors, Jack Dalton mining operations, Mix Silva prospector, Perry Wiley prospector, Alaska gold rush prospectors, Haines Alaska mining history
Biography
Edward Findley was one of the prospectors associated with the discovery of placer gold on Porcupine Creek north of Haines along the Dalton Trail.
In 1898, prospectors Mix Silva, Edward Findley, and Perry Wiley, who had been grubstaked by Jack Dalton, discovered placer gold on Porcupine Creek north of Haines near the Dalton Trail. Following the discovery, the Porcupine Mining District was formally organized on October 22, 1898.
On November 5, 1898, Dalton and his three prospectors located the Discovery Claim. Additional claims were soon located by Dalton and his business partners, E. B. Hanley and John Malony. The district was stampeded in 1899 as prospectors rushed into the region. Gold was discovered in nearby creeks, and both gold and copper were found in areas as much as sixty miles distant, including the Rainy Hollow district in Canada. The first year’s gold production was reportedly worth about $50,000, of which approximately $40,000 came from Dalton’s Discovery Claim.
The deposits in the district were rich but fairly deep, requiring complex infrastructure to mine effectively. Miles of ditches and flumes were constructed to supply water to hydraulic lifts, sometimes called gravel elevators, where miners recovered the gold. Commercial support for the new district was supplied by the Porcupine Trading Company, organized by Dalton, Hanley, and Malony on August 1, 1899. The company brought in mining equipment and extended liberal credit to other miners working in the district.
In 1900, Dalton and his partners shipped approximately 300 tons of equipment and supplies into the district. The mines operated profitably until about 1905, when a major flood washed out a considerable amount of the mining infrastructure. Recognizing that much of the easily recovered gold had likely been extracted, Dalton, Hanley, and Malony sold their interests profitably in 1907.
Edward Findley’s role in the original discovery party places him among the early prospectors whose work helped open the Porcupine Mining District and contributed to the mining history of the Haines region during Alaska’s gold rush era.
Sources
Alaska Mining Hall of Fame
Silva, Mix
Primary Name: Porcupine Mining District
Filed as: Porcupine Mining District
Also known as: Porcupine Creek Gold Discovery
Occupation / Association: Placer gold mining district
Associated places: Porcupine Creek, Alaska; Haines, Alaska; Dalton Trail; Rainy Hollow District, Canada
Keywords: Porcupine Mining District Alaska, Porcupine Creek gold discovery, Jack Dalton, Mix Silva, Edward Findley, Perry Wiley, EB Hanley, John Malony, Porcupine Trading Company, Dalton Trail mining, Haines Alaska mining history, Rainy Hollow mining district, Alaska placer mining, hydraulic mining Alaska, Alaska gold rush mining districts
Biography
In 1898 prospectors Mix Silva, Edward Findley, and Perry Wiley, who had been grubstaked by Jack Dalton, discovered placer gold on Porcupine Creek north of Haines along the Dalton Trail. The discovery quickly attracted attention and the Porcupine Mining District was formally organized on October 22, 1898.
On November 5, 1898, Dalton and the three prospectors located the Discovery Claim. Additional claims were soon located by Dalton and his business partners E. B. Hanley and John Malony. The district experienced a mining rush in 1899 as prospectors arrived and began working nearby creeks and surrounding areas.
Prospectors soon discovered gold in nearby creeks and both gold and copper deposits in areas as much as sixty miles distant, including the Rainy Hollow district in Canada. First-year production from the Porcupine district was reported to be worth approximately $50,000, with about $40,000 coming from Dalton’s Discovery Claim.
The gold deposits in the district were rich but fairly deep, requiring significant infrastructure to mine profitably. Miners constructed miles of ditches and flumes to deliver water to hydraulic mining systems. Hydraulic lifts, sometimes called gravel elevators, were used to raise gold-bearing gravel for processing.
Commercial support for the mining district came from the Porcupine Trading Company, organized by Dalton, Hanley, and Malony on August 1, 1899. The company imported mining equipment and provided supplies and credit to miners working in the district.
In 1900 Dalton and his partners shipped approximately 300 tons of mining equipment and supplies into the area. Mining operations continued profitably until around 1905, when a major flood destroyed much of the mining infrastructure. Recognizing that much of the easily recovered gold had been extracted, Dalton, Hanley, and Malony sold their interests in the district in 1907.
Sources
Alaska Mining Hall of Fame.
Bratnober, Henry
Primary Name: Bratnober, Henry
Filed as: bratnober_henry
Also known as: Henry Bratnober
Occupation / Association: Businessman; Mining Investor; Partner, Dalton Trail Company
Born:
Died:
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Alaska; Yukon District; Pyramid Harbor; Forty-Mile District; Circle District
Keywords: Henry Bratnober, Dalton Trail Company partner, Yukon freighting, Alaska mining investor
Biography
Henry Bratnober was a partner in the Dalton Trail Company, organized in 1895 to provide reliable freighting services into the Yukon during the early gold rush period.
Observing the pre-Klondike gold activity in the Circle and Forty-Mile mining districts and the growing need for dependable transportation into the Yukon region, John Malony and Jack Dalton formed a partnership for the Dalton Trail Company. Bratnober joined the venture along with E. B. Hanley and Fred Norvell.
The company operated the Dalton Trail, a packhorse route extending from Pyramid Harbor across the coastal mountains toward the Yukon interior. Prior to the completion of the White Pass & Yukon Railway, the trail served as an important transportation and supply route for miners and prospectors traveling to the interior goldfields.
Sources
Historical accounts of the Dalton Trail Company and Yukon freighting operations
Tags: Henry Bratnober, Dalton Trail Company, Alaska mining investors, Yukon freighting, Klondike Gold Rush logistics, Pyramid Harbor trail
Norvell, Fred
Primary Name: Dalton Trail Company
Filed as: Dalton Trail Company
Also known as: Dalton Trail freighting partnership
Occupation / Association: Yukon freight and transportation company
Associated places: Yukon River region; Dalton Trail; Alaska; Yukon Territory, Canada
Keywords: Dalton Trail Company, Jack Dalton freighting, John Malony Yukon freighting, EB Hanley Yukon trade, Fred Norvell Yukon freighting, Henry Bratnober Alaska mining investors, Dalton Trail history
Biography
The Dalton Trail Company was formed in 1895 to provide reliable freight transportation into the Yukon region during the early years of northern gold exploration.
Observing the growing pre-Klondike mining activity in the Circle and Forty-Mile Districts and the resulting need for dependable supply routes into the interior, John Malony and Jack Dalton organized the partnership. They were joined by investors and associates E. B. Hanley, Fred Norvell, and Henry Bratnober.
The company operated along the route that became known as the Dalton Trail, a major overland route used by miners, prospectors, and freight outfits traveling between the coast and the Yukon interior before and during the Klondike gold rush.
Through their freight operations, the Dalton Trail Company played an early role in developing transportation infrastructure supporting the mining districts of Alaska and the Yukon.
Sources
Alaska Mining Hall of Fame
Hanley, E. B.
Primary Name: Dalton Trail Company
Filed as: dalton_trail_company
Also known as: Dalton Trail freighting partnership
Occupation / Association: Freighting company serving Yukon mining districts
Born: 1895 (formation)
Died:
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Circle District, Alaska; Forty-Mile District, Yukon; Dalton Trail; Yukon River region
Keywords: Dalton Trail Company, Dalton Trail freighting, John Malony, Jack Dalton, E B Hanley, Fred Norvell, Henry Bratnober, Yukon freighting companies
Biography
Observing the pre-Klondike gold activity in the Circle and Forty-Mile Districts and the resulting need for reliable freighting in the Yukon region, John Malony and Jack Dalton organized a partnership in 1895 to operate the Dalton Trail Company.
The company was formed with additional partners E. B. Hanley, Fred Norvell, and Henry Bratnober. The enterprise provided freighting services along the Dalton Trail and into the Yukon mining districts, supporting prospectors and miners working in the region before the Klondike gold rush.
Sources
Tags: Dalton Trail Company, John Malony, Jack Dalton, E B Hanley, Fred Norvell, Henry Bratnober, Yukon freighting companies