John Treadwell (1842 – 1927)
	
John Treadwell was born in New Brunswick. He was working as a carpenter in California in 1881 when his employer, banker John Fry, suggested he look at a rich gold prospect on Douglas Island near Juneau, Alaska. Treadwell was not impressed with the prospect, but he gave a French-Canadian prospector $400 for his claim. Based on good assay results, he returned in May 1882, to start a mining operation with Fry and an associate. They formed the Alaska Mill and Mining Company and in 1883 started a large-scale operation. This was the beginning of the Treadwell Complex of four mines and five mills that recovered nearly $70 million in gold over the years. Treadwell sold his interests to the Alaska Gold Mining Company in 1889. Peak production was in 1914 and Treadwell, Alaska grew to a large community of workers and their families. The Treadwell Mines flooded and suffered cave-ins in 1917 and that ended the operations.((“John Treadwell.” Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation, 2024 website:   John Treadwell (alaskamininghalloffame.org) ))
	
Many of the early prospectors in the Yukon River watershed worked at the Treadwell mines in the winter or to earn money to buy prospecting supplies and food.