George E. Pilz (1845 – 1926)
	
George Pilz was born in Saxony and educated at the mining academy at Freiberg. He left Germany in 1867 and avoided conscription in the Franco-Prussian War. He worked for a German company looking for coal in Canada and the United States and then worked for Calumet and Hecla in the Michigan copper ranges. In 1869, he erected a copper smelter in California and continued that work in Arizona and Nevada over the next ten years. In 1879, he moved to Alaska to start construction of a mine and mill at Silver Bay, south of Sitka. Pilz collected ore samples from the Tlingit and followed up with experienced prospectors. He backed the first group of prospectors to travel the Chilkoot Pass.((Charles Hawley and David Stone, “George Pilz.” Alaska Mining Hall of Fame, 2024 website: George Pilz (alaskamininghalloffame.org) )) 

Alfred Brooks says that Pilz led that first group of prospectors into the interior in 1878 but they were discouraged by the hostility of the Chilkats, and the expedition was abandoned.  Pilz grubstaked Richard Harris and Joe Juneau in 1880 to search for hard rock gold above Windham Bay. An expedition two years later organized by Edmund Bean was instigated by Pilz, among others, but Pilz did not accompany the expedition.((Alfred Hulse Brooks, //Blazing Alaska's Trails.// Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 1953: 323.))
	
In 1883, Pilz travelled with four prospectors and some Chilkat into the Yukon River basin. At Ft. Reliance, he went up the Klondike River with Chief Charley and found some quartz. His men prospected the Sixtymile and Pelly rivers. They travelled to the Fortymile River and Pilz went down the Yukon River with lieutenant Schwatka. H. Franklin and Mattison stayed at the Fortymile with what supplies could be spared and some from Fort Reliance. Pilz poled back up the Yukon River with the Chilkats and one sick white man, Harkridre [George Harkrader, one of the 1880 Bean party.] Pilz left Harkridre on Dyea creek with a fire and the only blanket as he had to be packed, being helpless with rheumatism. Wilson and Healy had started a store on the beach that spring and Capt. Healy went up with some Chilkats and packed Harkridre down.((George E. Pilz, "Reminiscences: Pioneer Days in Alaska." Copied from the original manuscript, property of Mr. Charles E. Brunnel, College Alaska, 1935.))
	
Pilz’ career took him to Mexico, South America, and many places in Alaska. He was in Dawson in 1906 spent many years in the Forty Mile district. He died in Eagle, Alaska.((Charles Hawley and David Stone, “George Pilz.” Alaska Mining Hall of Fame, 2024 website: George Pilz (alaskamininghalloffame.org) ))