The Spread of Prospectors

Following the gold discoveries near Juneau in 1880, prospectors soon started exploring other areas of Alaska. One of the first places they went was the Kenai Peninsula, where the Russian geologist Peter Doroshin had found gold in the 1840s. 

In 1888, a noteworthy strike occurred on Resurrection Creek. After this discovery, prospectors staked claims along most creeks on the northern Kenai Peninsula.  An estimated 3,000 people rushed to the northern Kenai Peninsula and founded the towns of Hope and Sunrise, which became trade centers for the miners. For a brief time, Sunrise was the largest town in Alaska. 

But like many gold rush towns in Alaska, the boom was brief. When news of gold discoveries in the upper Yukon River region reached the Kenai Peninsula, most prospectors headed for the new fields. By 1911, Sunrise only had 12 residents.