Digital Bob Archive

24 March 1980

JULY 31, 1886-J. A. Johnson, head of the Johnson Mill & Mining Company, is developing the Taku group of claims near the first falls on Gold Creek and is building a road to the site from Juneau. Work is progressing on the road, which takes a new route. It starts on Sixth Street but instead of going east to follow the old pack trail over the shoulder of Gold Mountain-now often referred to as Mount Roberts-the new route is first northwest, around the butte which is call Mount Maria by the miners. Some blasting is required there, and there will have to be a timber or trestle work along the side of the canyon of Gold Creek before the road reaches the flat in Last Chance Basin. Once across the flat, with a bridge across Gold Creek, the road is projected to climb along the side of Mount Juneau and eventually to reach the falls which powers the Webster mill and which will also power Johnson?s plant. He is bringing in a Huntington mill or ore crusher in the near future.

The Taku group includes some of the earliest lode locations in the valley. Dick Harris and Joe Juneau, the original discoverers of gold in this area, staked the Takou Gold and Silver Quartz lode on December 7, 1880. The following day Charles Wells and J. D. Sagemiller staked the Takou Union lode claim adjoining the Harris-Juneau claim. On that same day the four men consolidated their claims and renamed then the Takou Union Consolidated. In August, 1881, an agreement was reached between the four owners and William B. Robertson of San Francisco for the development of the property. Robertson was to organize a company to be called the Takou Mill & Mining Company, with 200,000 shares of capit al stock of $100 par value. Robertson was to receive 30,000 shares for his work as organizer and each of the four owners were to receive 25,000 shares. In return, they were to convey to the company their ownership in the Takou Union claims and also their various interests in the Capital, Juneau, Gold Hill, Keystone and Crown Point lode claims in that same general area. Several Navy men bought into the company, including Captain Henry Glass, at that time the Navy commander in Alaska. William T. Coleman of San Francisco also bought into the company. He is also an associate of N. A. Fuller in the Fuller First lode claim and was a party to the lawsuit Fuller recently won from Dick Harris. But the Takou Mill & Mining Company never raised the necessary development capital and it is understood that Johnson has now acquired all or most of the holdings. Some ore has been taken from some of the claims to be reduced at the Webster mill.