Compressor Shack

Located on an upper black shale bedrock bench, the compressor shack served to house a large air compressor, providing air to drill and blast bedrock drains to facilitate the old time gold mining operation.

COMPRESSOR

Ingersoll Rand compressor housed in the Dan Creek compressor shack. Operated by a water-driven pelton wheel, it provided compressed air to drill and blast bedrock drains to facilitate the old time gold mining operation.

COPPER NUGGET and DRYAS LEAF

Copper nugget weighing about two pounds with Dryas leaf. Found at Dan Creek.

PANORAMA OF THE NIZINA RIVER VALLEY

Looking across the Nizina River from Williams Peak. Mile-High-Cliffs on the right and Sourdough Mountain center.

EARLY WINTER VIEW LOOKING DOWN DAN CREEK

November view looking down Dan Creek.

ANTIQUES FROM DAYS GONE BY

Compressor shack antiques porcelain dinner ware, velvet tobacco cans and blasting caps can cover.

OLD ROUND POINT SHOVEL

Old round point shovel used at Dan Creek, note the inset photo with the shovel trademark.

ONE OF A KIND SUNSET

Unusual sunset at Dan Creek, looking southeast towards the Chitina River

CLAIM MARKER FROM THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

Claim marker axed into a live Black Spruce

DAN CREEK SAFE

One of the two Dan Creek safes.

GRIZZLY BEAR TRACKS AT THE MOUTH OF DAN CREEK

Tracks made in about 6 inches of snow and then windblown.

VIEW LOOKING UP DAN CREEK

Boulder mountain on the left, Nicholai Butte just left of center and the shoulder of Williams Peak on the right. View from bridge across Dan Creek looking up the creek.

LOOKING DOWN DAN CREEK

Early 1900's view looking down Dan Creek, across the Nizina River, Sourdough Mountain in the background. Photo courtesy University of Alaska Fairbanks Regina Knill Cope collection.

ANTIQE KEROSENE CAN

Antique kerosene can found along the old pack trail going to Dan Creek. Note the pour spout on the top right of the can.

WINTER SUNRISE ON SOURDOUGH MOUNTAIN

Mid-winter sunrise on Sourdough Mountain, view from Dan Creek.

ANTIQUE BRASS T VALVE

Antique brass T valve found in the compressor shack.

COMPRESSOR SHACK

Compressor shack, on upper black shale bench. Note the large boulders. The old timers left them and mined around them.

HYDRAULIC MONITOR

Hydraulic monitor, used high pressure stream of water to move gold bearing gravel through the sluice box.

PIPE AND VALVE

Large pipe bringing a head of water from the dam at the Hole-In-The-Wall to the hydraulic monitor. Large valve used to divert the flow when not needed.

OLD TIME SLUICE BOX SETUP

Old time sluice box setup in the lower Dan Creek Valley.

LOOKING DOWN KENNICOTT GLACIER

Looking down the Kennicott Glacier toward the town of McCarthy, Alaska.

EARLY DAM AT THE HOLE-IN-THE-WALL

Early dam at the Hole-In-The-Wall to generate water pressure for hydraulic mining. Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Regina Knill Cope collection.