A century ago, Treadwell, Alaska, was a featured stop on steamship cruises, a rich, up-to-date town that was the most prominent and proud in all Alaska. Its wealth, however, was founded on the remarkably productive gold mines on Douglas Island, and when those caved in and flooded in the early decades of the twentieth century, Treadwell sank into relative obscurity.
Treadwell Gold presents first-person accounts from the sons and daughters of the miners, machinists, hoist operators, and superintendents who together dug and blasted the gold that made Treadwell rich. Alongside these stories are vintage photos that capture both the industrial vigor of the mines and the daily lives that made up Treadwell society. The book will fascinate anyone interested in Alaskan history or the romance of gold mining’s past.
Prologue
Introduction
Treadwell at Its Peak
Chapter One
Catalyst for Alaska Development
Chapter Two
Treadwell Mines: The Story in Brief
Chapter Three
An Unusual Company Town
Chapter Four
Company Family through Boom and Bust
Chapter Five
The Big Hoistman’s Boisterous Family
Chapter Six
Tough Grind of the Hard-Rock Miner
Chapter Seven
View from the Mansion
Chapter Eight
Labor Troubles and the Western Federation of Miners
Chapter Nine
The Tlingit: Ancient Culture Meets Modern Industry
Chapter Ten
Fourth of July’s Grand Celebration
Chapter Eleven
Double Threat of Wind and Fire
Chapter Twelve
Imitations of Disaster
Chapter Thirteen
The Cave-in: Rumblings Become a Roar
Chapter Fourteen
A Town Brought Down
Chapter Fifteen
Reduced to Ashes
Epilogue
The Place, the People, the Gold
Afterword
Timeline
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
Bibliography
Index
