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The mining industry
hasn’t always been so remote...

The mining action hasn’t always been as remote as the
mountains of the Stikine Arch. Until forestry took over as the
primary industry in Terrace during the 1940's, there was active
mining all around the community. The following is taken from the
background studies for the Greater Terrace Official Settlement
Plan of 1984.

The history of mining in the Terrace area predates the first
permanent white settlements. In 1884, placer gold was actively
mined from Kleanza, Chimdemash, Fiddler, Lorne, Douglas, and
Phillips (Hankin) Creeks. By 1893, a mild staking rush was
started when gold and copper ores were discovered in the vicinity
of Usk. The first mineral claims of the area were staked at this
time. By 1910, 200 claims had been registered near Usk for
deposits containing gold, silver and copper.

In 1912, interest spread to Thornhill and Kleanza Mountains,
with the discovery of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum
and tungsten deposits, and in 1914 to the Kitsumkalum Lake
area with gold, silver, lead and zinc claims. Other discoveries
followed — limonite iron ore on the Zymoetz River, copper
deposits on Kleanza, St. Croix, and Chimdemash Creek, and high
grade ore containing gold, lead, zinc and copper on Fiddler Creek.
The common method of development was hand-picking of the
richest ore samples, which were then carried by horsepack and
wagon to the newly completed Grand Trunk Pacific Railway for
shipment to such purchasers as the smelters in Trail and Anyox.
The richest gold deposits were picked by hand for free gold. In
1918 over $4,000 of native gold (1918 dollars) was removed from
a quartz vein on Thornhill Mountain in under two weeks.

B.C. Mining Week / Terrace Review ~— February 28, 1992