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Pedro Creek

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Tin
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10101020
MRDS ID A015333
Record type Site
Current site name Pedro Creek

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.54101, 64.98578 (WGS84)
Relative position The Pedro Creek mine is located in the W1/2 sec. 22, T. 2 N., R. 1 E., Fairbanks Meridian. Mine tailings are marked along Pedro Creek on the Fairbanks D-2 and the Livengood A-1 and A-2 topographic maps; the tailings extend for about 4.5 miles above its mouth. This site is also described in the Livengood ARDF records (LG064). The mine is included in locality 54 of Cobb (1972 [MF 410]).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Tin Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cassiterite Ore
Gold Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
BC deposit profile C01. C02
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.54101, 64.98578
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Felix Pedro discovered gold on Pedro Creek in 1902, the first discovery in what was to become the Fairbanks District. Pedro Creek was a major placer gold producer in the Fairbanks mining district; placered ground extends almost 4.5 miles along the creek, from its mouth at the junction with Twin Creek to the junction of Pedro Creek and Gilmore Creek. Placer gold on Pedro Creek is both very fine and coarse and was found in the bottom 2 to 7 feet of gravel and the top 1 to 5 feet of bedrock (Prindle, 1904; Brooks, 1905). The depth to quartzite schist bedrock is 9 to 35 feet (Prindle, 1904; Prindle and Katz, 1909). Heavy minerals found with the gold are magnetite, garnet, rutile and pyrite (Prindle, 1905). The paystreak is from 4 to over 200 feet wide (Brooks, 1905). Mining was by drifting, open cuts, and dredges (Cobb, 1976 [OFR 76-633]). United Stated Smelting Refining and Mining Co. Dredge no. 4 was built on Pedro Creek in 1939, and the dredge worked there from 1939 to 1942 and from 1952 to 1958 (R.M. Chapman, USGS unpublished memorandum, 1978). The value of gold produced from 1903 to 1910 was $1,250,000 (with the gold valued at $17.68 per ounce) (Prindle and Katz, 1913). More recent production figures are not available.
  • Age = Quaternary placer.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = The value of gold produced from 1903 to 1910 was $1,250,000 (gold valued at $17.68 per ounce) (Prindle and Katz, 1913). The production for subsequent years is not available but probably is substantial.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Felix Pedro discovered gold on Pedro Creek in 1905, the first discovery in what was to become the Fairbanks District. Mining was by drifting, open cuts and dredges (Cobb, 1976 [OFR 76-633]). In 1922, hydraulic operations continued and over 24,000 square feet of ground was worked (Wimmler, 1922, ATDM MR 195-6, p. 17). United Stated Smelting Refining and Mining Co. Dredge no. 4 was built on Pedro Creek in 1939, and the dredge worked there from 1939 to 1942 and from 1952 to 1958 (R.M. Chapman, USGS unpublished memorandum, 1978). In the summer of 1960, Nick Kupoff and Charles Lazeration mined on Pedro Creek near its junction with Twin Creek (Saunders, 1960). Small amounts of placer gold are still being mined at a recreational mining site on upper Pedro Creek near the monument that marks the discovery of gold in the Fairbanks District by Felix Pedro.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015333
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF FB094

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1904, Gold placers of the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 225, p. 64-73.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1905, Placer mining in Alaska in 1904: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 259, p. 18-31.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1905, The gold placers of the Fortymile, Birch Creek, and Fairbanks regions, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 251, 89 p.

  • Deposit

    Purington, C.W., 1905, Methods and costs of gravel and placer mining in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 263, 273 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1907, The Alaskan mining industry in 1906: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 19-39.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1908, The Fairbanks and Rampart quadrangles, Yukon-Tanana region, Alaska, with a section on the Rampart placers, by F.L. Hess, and a paper on the water supply of the Fairbanks region, by C.C. Covert: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 337, 102 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1909, The Fairbanks gold-placer region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379, p. 181-200.

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., 1910, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 432 p.

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., and Parker, G.L., 1911, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, 325 p.

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., 1912, Placer mining in the Fairbanks and Circle Disctricts: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 520, p. 240-245.

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., and Davenport, R.W., 1913, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 303 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1914, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1913: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592, p. 340-341.

  • Deposit

    Eakin, H.M., 1915, Placer mining in Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622-I, p. 366-373.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1916, Antimony deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 649, 67 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1917, The mining industry in the territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1915: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 142, 66 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1917, The mining industry in the territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1916: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 153, 89 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1918, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1916: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662, 469 p.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N.L., 1922, Placer mining in Alaska in 1922: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-6, 77 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1929, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1926: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 797, p. 1-50.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1927: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810-A, p. 1-64.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813, p. 1-72.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-82.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 1, 46 p.

  • Deposit

    Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., Killeen, P. L., and others, 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern interior Alaska, 1946: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 331, 36 p.

  • Deposit

    Saunders, R.H., 1959, Silver-lead occurrences in the Fairbanks district: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 194-18, 19 p., 2 maps, scale 1:63,360.

  • Deposit

    Chapman, R.M., and Foster, R.L., 1969, Lode mines and prospects in the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 625-D, 25 p., 1 plate.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-410, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, S. S., 1917, The mining industry in the Territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1916: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 153, 89 p

  • Deposit

    Smith, S. S., 1917, The mining industry in the Territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1915: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 142, 66 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1939, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1939, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1934, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1933, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-82.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1933, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1930, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813-A, p. 1-72.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P. S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1927: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810, p. 1-64.

  • Deposit

    Saunders, R.H., 1960, Mining in the Fairbanks District: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Itinerary Report 58-2, 15 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1906, Yukon placer fields: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 284, p. 109-127.

  • Deposit

    Chapin, Theodore, 1914, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 357-362.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Cobb, 1976 (OFR 76-622)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 C.J. Freeman Avalon Development Corporation