Gold Dredge No. 8
ABOUT US
Experience the gold mining legacy of Fairbanks at Gold Dredge No. 8, a National Historic District. This unique artifact of Alaskan gold mining offers visitors the chance to experience the thrill of prospecting. Described as either a floating workhorse or a mechanical gold pan, Gold Dredge No. 8 extracted millions of ounces of gold from the frozen Alaskan ground. Today, the Gold Dredge No. 8 National Historic District serves as a monument to the hard working miners who built Fairbanks. Jobs at Gold Dredge No. 8 include Tour Guide, Gift Shop Clerk and Mess Hall Servers.
Daily tours operate from 9 am to 5 pm. This leaves you the entire evening to explore the many sights Fairbanks has to offer. Whether it is hiking in the Chena Hot Springs Recreational Area, backpacking in Denali National Park, eating at the Pioneer Park Salmon Bake, floating down the Chena River, or any of the summer activities that invite you to Fairbanks, you have plenty of free time during your summer employment to experience Alaska. Just as you are creating a cherished memory of Alaska for all of your guests, you are creating memories for yourself. What you take with you from your experiences here in Fairbanks will last a lifetime.
The History of Gold Dredge No. 8
On July 22, 1902, Felix Pedro discovered gold on Pedro Creek, 16.5 miles northeast of Fairbanks. Pedro's discovery launched a gold rush in the area, which resulted in other discoveries and the establishment of camps on Goldstream, Cleary, Ester Dome, Eldorado, Fish, Fairbanks, and Vault Creeks.
During the years following Pedro's discovery, numerous small mining ventures used placer and crude underground mining methods to extract nearly $7 million worth of gold. Mining operations were limited to the winter months when tunnels could be kept dry. By 1920, miners had exhausted the supply of readily accessible gold.
In that same year, Fairbanks Exploration Company entered the field north of Fairbanks and acquired large blocks of already-worked claims. The organization invested an additional $10 million in equipment and in construction of the Davidson Ditch, which delivered water to the mine sites and allowed for the operation of eight giant dredges.
One of those eight dredges, Dredge No.8 was manufactured in 1927-28 by Bethlehem Steel Company, Ship Building Division. The equipment was shipped from Pennsylvania by transcontinental railroad and by ocean-going barge to the Alaskan Railroad to be assembled in early 1928 just west of Fox, Alaska at the head of the Goldstream Valley.
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QUALIFICATIONS
- At least 18 years of age.
- U.S. Citizen or able to legally work in the U.S.
- Must enjoy working with all types of people.
- Must have at least one year of customer service experience.
- Must be able to commit to a minimum 100-day season.
- Must be able to perform a wide variety of customer service and administrative tasks.
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