Bear Creek mine, Admiralty Island, Alaska

In July 1929 Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, reported that The Alaska Asbestos, Inc. "has recently been formed for the purpose of mining asbestos in Alaska, as well as talc," and that its mine office was at Juneau: "The name of the Mine is Bear Creek Mine."¹ In February 1932 the journal printed an announcement from Alaska Asbestos Company, Inc., "owners of a group of six claims on Admiralty Island," that Admiralty-Alaska Asbestos, Inc. "has taken a long term lease on the mine and will start up operations at the earliest possible date"; the announcement does not name the mine.² It added that "a large talc deposit also on the property will be mined," with contracts already secured from Northwest paper mills.² In a report published in 1935, the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook reported that Alaska Asbestos, Inc., "owners of the Bear Creek mine on Admiralty Island," described the property as "equipped fully for operation, including buildings, machinery, and a road to within 1 mile of the quarry," and that the deposit "is said to contain a large supply of good-grade, long-fibered amphibole."³

The documents report work here (mining, shafts or a mill) but no fiber sold or shipped; that is what our documents say, and the mine may still have sold some.³

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1929

• Ownership: “The Alaska Asbestos, Inc. ... has recently been formed for the purpose of mining asbestos in Alaska” (The Alaska Asbestos, Inc.), p. 55¹
• Description: “The Mine Office is located at Juneau, Alaska” (The Alaska Asbestos, Inc.), p. 55¹

1932

• Description: “Large talc deposit on the property also to be mined; contracts with Northwest paper mills” (Admiralty-Alaska Asbestos, Inc.), p. 52²
• Ownership: “Alaska Asbestos Company, Inc., owners of six claims on Admiralty Island; Admiralty-Alaska Asbestos, Inc. has taken a long term lease on the mine” (Admiralty-Alaska Asbestos, Inc.; Alaska Asbestos Company, Inc.), said by Alaska Asbestos Company, Inc., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 52²

1933

• Reserves: “The deposit is said to contain a large supply of good-grade, long-fibered amphibole” (Alaska Asbestos, Inc.), p. 4³
• Ownership: “Alaska Asbestos, Inc., owners of the Bear Creek mine on Admiralty Island” (Alaska Asbestos, Inc.), p. 4³
• Mill: “the property has been equipped fully for operation, including buildings, machinery, and a road to within 1 mile of the quarry” (Alaska Asbestos, Inc.), p. 4³

Other names

Documents call this mine “Bear Creek mine”, “Bear Creek Mine”.

See also

• Asbestos exposure sites in Alaska
• All asbestos mines

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1929, July 1929 (July 1, 1929), p. 55.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1932, February 1932 (February 1, 1932), p. 52.
3. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1934 (January 1, 1935), p. 4.