Bonanza Creek
Encyclopedia
Bonanza Creek is a watercourse in Yukon Territory
, Canada
. It runs for about 20 miles (32.2 km) from King Solomon's Dome
to the Klondike River
. In the last years of the 19th century and the early 20th century, Bonanza Creek was the center of the Klondike Gold Rush
, which attracted tens of thousands of prospectors
to the creek and the area surrounding it. Prior to 1896 the creek was known as Rabbit Creek. Its name was changed by miners in honor of the millions of dollars in gold found in and around the creek.
During gold-mining operations, the course of the creek changed drastically. It was heavily developed during the early 20th century, but was largely abandoned by the 1950s. A handful of small gold-mining operations continue on the creek, but today it is best known for its historic value. The government of Canada has established a historic site centered on one of the gold dredge
s brought in during the mining years.
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It runs for about 20 miles (32.2 km) from King Solomon's Dome
King Solomon's Dome
King Solomon's Dome, also called King Solomon Dome, is a peak in the Yukon-Mackenzie Divide region of the Yukon Territory, Canada. It is southeast of Dawson City, Yukon, and is believed to be the source of the gold fields that sparked the Klondike Gold Rush at the turn of the 20th century...
to the Klondike River
Klondike River
The Klondike River is a tributary of the Yukon River in Canada that gave its name to the Klondike Gold Rush. The Klondike River has its source in the Ogilvie Mountains and flows into the Yukon River at Dawson City....
. In the last years of the 19th century and the early 20th century, Bonanza Creek was the center of the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
, which attracted tens of thousands of prospectors
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
to the creek and the area surrounding it. Prior to 1896 the creek was known as Rabbit Creek. Its name was changed by miners in honor of the millions of dollars in gold found in and around the creek.
During gold-mining operations, the course of the creek changed drastically. It was heavily developed during the early 20th century, but was largely abandoned by the 1950s. A handful of small gold-mining operations continue on the creek, but today it is best known for its historic value. The government of Canada has established a historic site centered on one of the gold dredge
Gold dredge
A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods.The original gold dredges were large, multi-story machines built in the first half of the 1900s....
s brought in during the mining years.