![]() ![]() It is mining machine that uses a continuous line of heavy steel buckets (the “ladder”) to scoop gold-bearing gravel from the bottom of a stream or man-made pond. Gold dredge “ladder”Ī dredge has been described as a mechanical gold pan. The train took us to Gold Dredge 8, where we learned a bit about that gold mining history. Barnette set up at trading post on the banks of the Chena River at what is now Fairbanks. In 1902 Italian immigrant Felix Pedro found gold north of Fairbanks. It was Gold Rush fever that created the city of Fairbanks. Tanana Valley Railroad Tanana Valley Railroad car at Gold Dredge 8Īfter learning about the pipeline, we boarded a replica of the narrow gauge Tanana Valley Railroad for a short ride to the dredge. The pipeline transformed Alaska from the most heavily-taxed state to the most tax-free state. The pipeline and its oil remain important to the economy of Fairbanks and to Alaska as a whole. The building of the pipeline created a boom time in Fairbanks. Alaska pipeline at start of Gold Dredge 8 tour Aboveground sections follow a zig zag configuration to allow for expansion and contraction due to temperature changes and for movement during earthquakes. In areas of unstable soils, the pipeline was insulated and elevated. Soil sampling done along the route during construction determined whether the section of pipeline in that area would be built above ground or underground in a more conventional manner. It crosses 3 mountain ranges and 34 major rivers. The pipeline runs for 800 miles of rugged and remote terrain. ![]() The Alaska pipeline was built between March 1975 and May 1977 to transport oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, the northernmost ice-free port in North America. The Gold Dredge 8 experience began in a field under a portion of the Alaska pipeline running above ground. I learned more about that history as it came alive on the Gold Dredge 8 tour. Opinions and observations, as always, are my own.)īoth gold and oil have played a significant role in the history of Fairbanks, Alaska. (Thanks to Explore Fairbanks for hosting my visit to Fairbanks. See the Alaska pipeline, discover gold mining history and pan for gold at Gold Dredge 8 in Fairbanks, Alaska ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |