Yukon who is who

George F. Sparks (b. 1874)

George Sparks was originally from California and came to the Yukon during the gold rush. He found that the good creek claims were staked, but Gold Hill was causing some excitement. Sparks and his partner, W. A. Whitely, purchased an interest in the Travarro bench claim on the second tier off the left limit opposite No. 2 Eldorado Creek. It proved to be one of the richest claims on Gold Hill and by 1899 had produced several times the purchase price of $20,000. The claim was celebrated for a number of beautiful gold nuggets and many were sent outside as keepsakes because of their odd shapes. Single pans commonly ran as high as ninety-six dollars.¹⁾

Sparks and Whitely purchased several other properties including interest in a bench claim opposite No. 23 Below on Bonanza for $10,000. In 1899, they were actively mining this last claim and the Gold Hill bench, using the latest approved equipment. The Sparks Whitely cabin was known as a centre of pleasant hospitality.²⁾

George Sparks was mining in the Fortymile area when he enlisted for service in the First World War.³⁾ Private Sparks fought with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Yukon Infantry Company.⁴⁾ His creek claims on Log Cabin Creek were held free from cancellation while he was fighting.⁵⁾ The Canadian Yukon Patriotic Fund loaned returned soldier G. Sparks $500 in October 1919 to assist in purchasing mining property.⁶⁾