John A. “Jack” Ross
Engineer Jack Ross was hired to manage the operation when [James?] Scougale and Otto Kastner bought claims at Minto Lake from Jimmy Scrivener. Ross brought his family from Dawson in 1913 to live at Minto Lake. He constructed the Kastner Ditch and $60,000 was spent in trying to mine the property without success. The three Ross children, Mary, Lena, and Nora attended the first school in Mayo Landing when it opened in 1913. The children returned to Minto Lake by late March or early April for the mining season.1)
In June 1919, a harbour mud dredge, abandoned by the Yukon Basin Gold Dredging Co. Ltd. at the mouth of the McQuesten River, was towed to Mayo by the sternwheeler Dawson. It was then dismantled and transported overland to Highet Creek. The hull was built in 1920. Ed Barker, who had experience in Siberia, was hired as the dredge master and Joe Walsh and John A. Ross were hired as engineers. The dredge began operation on claim No. 66 but closed down early in 1922 after one and a half years of operation. Apparently one of the backers, E. O. Finlayson, recovered his investment and left nothing to pay the crew. Ross, Blackmore, and Hoder put a lien against the claims held by Lou Titus.2)
Jack Ross's cabin on Duncan Creek was at 98 Duncan Creek, just below the Discovery Claim and 40 miles north east of Mayo.3)