Digital Bob Archive

DECEMBER 9, 1880-The staking of town lots has been the chief business of residents of the camp during the past week. Fifteen lots each 50 feet wide and 200 feet deep as provided in the original townsite notice, have been staked along the waterfront.

Starting at the ridge on the west side of the townsite, the first lot is claimed by a man named Siminoff who came from Sitka with George Pilz and is said to be an employee of Pilz. Next in order are Dick Willoughby, Lt. McClellan, P. Berry and Mrs. Allen of Sitka, staked for her by proxy. Then comes Pierre ?French Pete? Erussard who has been trading among the Indians of this area for some time and arrived in his own little boat. He proposes to put up a store and saloon on his lot. Joe Juneau is next along the beach, followed by Dick Harris, George Pilz, N. A. Fuller, Nat Hilton, A. Sleakerstoff, James Schmeig, William Moore and E. Hughes, the latter also claimed by proxy.

These 15 lots fill the waterfront from the ridge on the west to the steep side of the mountain to the east. But when it came to staking a second row of lots, back from the beach, a group of Cassiar men headed by John Olds got together and decided among themselves that 200 feet in depth is more than is needed for a town building lot. Accordingly, they staked their claims on the back half of the first row of lots. This has been generally accepted by the first claimants as being fair and equitable and undoubtedly a 50 by 100 foot lot will be the standard size for the camp.

Included in the second bunch of claimants, along what some are calling Back Street and other have labeled Second Street, are Charles Wells, Edmund Bean, James Ring, Mike Gibbon, Pat McGlinchy, John Olds, Tom Kiernan, Alex Miletich, George Harkrader, Sam Goldstein, Dan Kennedy and George Barnes.

Meanwhile, the staking of placer claims along Gold Creek continues despite heavy snow and biting winds. There is some grumbling in the camp because Dick Harris, the self-appointed recorder, is returning to Sitka with George Pilz and has no definite date for returning. In his absence, there will be no way to record new claims, either mining or town lots. There is talk of holding a miners? meeting to revise the local regulations and elect a new recorder.