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Ester Creek

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

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308825
MRDS ID A015317
Record type Site
Current site name Ester Creek
Related records 10136431, 10002842

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -148.03195, 64.84566 (WGS84)
Relative position Extensive placer mining took place on Ester Creek in the northern portions of sections 7 and 8, T. 1 S., R. 2 W., and section 12, T. 1 S., R. 3 W., Fairbanks Meridian. The coordinates given are for the approximate center of placered ground that is shown on the Fairbanks D-2 and D-3 topographic maps. Ester Creek is just south of the town of Ester, and the creek has been mined for at least 3 miles by drift mining, surface open pits, and dredge from 1905 well into the 1990's. This mine is included in locality 44 of Cobb (1972 [MF 410]).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Antimony Secondary
Tungsten Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Scheelite Ore
Stibnite 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) -148.03195, 64.84566
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Ester Creek produced placer gold almost continuously from 1905 well into the 1990's. The Ester Creek placer gold is deeply buried; the depth to bedrock was originally nearly 170 feet near its mouth, although much of the material over bedrock has since been stripped away (Prindle and Katz, 1913, p.110). Productive gravels average 300 feet wide and 8 feet thick (Prindle and Katz, 1913). United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Co. Dredge no. 6 worked on Ester Creek from 1929 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1950 (R.M. Chapman, USGS unpublished memorandum, 1978). Early in 1951, the dredge moved from near the mouth of Eva Creek to Gold Hill (FB155) through a canal. Prior to dredging, most work on the creek was by drift mines through deep shafts in the frozen, reworked loess or the co-called muck that blanketed the gravel, or from surface workings after stipping away the muck with hydraulic monitors (Wimmler, 1922, p. 20; Wimmler,1924, p. 67-68; Wimmler, 1925, p. 46; Wimmler, 1926 [ATDM MR 195-11, p. 58]; Wimmler, 1929, p. 191). In addition to gold, scheelite and stibnite were found in placer concentrates (Brooks, 1907; Joesting, 1942 [ATDM Pamph. 1]). Mining, prior to 1961, produced more than $4,000,000 worth of gold (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]). Also see the Yellow Eagle mine (FB152) that recently worked on ground south of Eva Creek that may in part be in the Ester Creek drainage.
  • 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 = Prior to 1961, Ester Creek produced more than $4,000,000 worth of gold (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]). Placer operations were active through the 1990's; however, the amount 0f gold produced in recent years has not been reported (Szumigala and Swainbank, 1999).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Ester Creek produced placer gold almost continuously from 1905 well into the 1990's. The Ester Creek placer gold is deeply buried; the depth to bedrock was originally nearly 170 feet near its mouth, although much of the material over bedrock has since been stripped away (Prindle and Katz, 1913, p.110). Productive gravels average 300 feet wide and 8 feet thick (Prindle and Katz, 1913). United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Co. Dredge no. 6 worked on Ester Creek from 1929 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1950 (R.M. Chapman, USGS unpublished memorandum, 1978). Early in 1951, the dredge moved from near the mouth of Eva Creek to Gold Hill (FB155) through a manmade canal. Prior to dredging, most work on the creek was by drift mines through deep shafts in the frozen, reworked loess or so-called muck that blanketed the gravel, or from surface workings after stipping away the muck with hydraulic monitors (Wimmler, 1922, p. 20; Wimmler,1924, p. 67-68; Wimmler, 1925, p. 46; Wimmler, 1926 [ATDM MR 195-11, p. 58]; Wimmler, 1929, p. 191). In addition to gold, scheelite and stibnite were found in placer concentrates (Brooks, 1907; Joesting, 1942 [ATDM Pamph. 1]). Mining, prior to 1961, produced more than $4,000,000 worth of gold (Cobb, 1973, B 1374). Also see the Yellow Eagle mine (FB152) that recently worked on ground south of Eva Creek that may in part be in the Ester Creek drainage.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF FB034
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A010719
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015317
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS D002635

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1908, The mining industry in 1907: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 345, 294 p.

  • 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

    Brooks, A.H., 1911, The Mount McKinley region, Alaska, with descriptions of the igneous rocks and of the Bonnifield and Kantishna districts by L.M. Prindle: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 70, 234 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1911, The mining industry in 1910: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, p. 21-42.

  • 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

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

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1915, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1914: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622, 238 p.

  • 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

    Martin, G.C., 1919, Alaska Mining Industry in 1917: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 692, p. 11-42

  • Deposit

    Martin, G.C., 1920, The Alaska mining industry in 1918: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 712-A, p. 1-52.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., and Martin, G. C. 1921, The Alaska mining industry in 1919: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 714, p. 59-95.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1922, The Alaska mining industry in 1920: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 722-A, p. 1-74.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1923, The Alaska mining industry in 1921: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 739, p. 1-50.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H. and Capps, S.R., 1924, Mineral industry in Alaska, 1922: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755, p. 1-56.

  • Deposit

    Capps, S.R., 1924, Geology and mineral resources of the region traversed by the Alaska Railroad: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755-C, p. 73-150.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N.L., 1924, Placer mining in Alaska in 1924: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-7, 114 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1925, Alaska's mineral resources and production, 1923: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 773, p. 3-52.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N.L., 1925, Placer mining in Alaska in 1925: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-8, 118 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N.L., 1926, Placer mining in Alaska in 1926: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-11, 121 p.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N.L., 1929, Placer mining in Alaska in 1929: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-12, 318 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

    Killeen, P.L., and Mertie, J.B., 1951, Antimony ore in the Fairbanks District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 51-46, 43 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

    Byers, F.M., Jr., 1957, Tungsten deposits in the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1024-I, p. 179-216.

  • Deposit

    Burand, W.M., 1966, A geochemical investigation of the Nenana Highway area, central Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geochemical Report 10, 13 p.

  • Deposit

    Koschmann, A.H. and Bergendahl, M.H., 1968, Principal gold producing districts of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 610, 283 p.

  • 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 Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.

  • Deposit

    Boswell, J.C., 1979, History of Alaskan operations of United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company: Mineral Industry Research Laboratory, University of Alaska, 126 p.

  • Deposit

    Swainbank, R.C., Bundtzen, T. K., Clough A.H., and Henning, M.W., 1997, Alaska's mineral industry 1996: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 51, 68 p.

  • Deposit

    Swainbank, R C., and Clautice, K.H., 1998, Alaska's mineral industry 1997; a summary: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Information Circular 43, 12 p.

  • Deposit

    Szumigala, D.J., and Swainbank, R.C., 1999, Alaska's mineral industry 1998: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report SR 53, 71 p.

  • Deposit

    Swainbank, R.C., Szumigala, D.J., Henning, M.W., and Pillifant, F.M., 2000, Alaska's mineral industry 1999: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 54, 73 p.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N. L., 1925, Placer mining in Alaska in 1925: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-8, 118 p.

  • Deposit

    Wimmler, N. L., 1926, Placer mining in Alaska in 1926: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-11, 121 p.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H. R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurrences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet no. 1, 50 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A. H., 1911, Geologic features of Alaskan metalliferous lodes: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480-C, p. 43-93.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A. H., 1911, The Mount McKinley region, Alaska, with descriptions of the igneous rocks and of the Bonnifield and Kantishna districts by L.M. Prindle: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 70, 234 p.

  • Deposit

    Burand, W. M., 1966, A geochemical investigation of the Nenana Highway area, central Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geochemical Report 10, 13 p.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1975, Mineral resources of Alaska, in Yount, M.E., ed., U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Program, 1975: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 722, p. 37.

  • Deposit

    Moffit, F.H., 1927, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1925: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 792-A, p. 1-39.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

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

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

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

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

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

  • 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, 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

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Cobb, 1976 (B 1374)

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 and C.J. Freeman Avalon Development Corporation