Gold mining in Alaska Juneau, and Nome are responsible for most of Alaska's historical and all current gold production. Nearly all of the large and many of the small placer gold mines currently operating in the US are in Alaska. Six modern large-scale hard rock mines operate in Alaska in 2008; four of those are gold-producing mines (an additional gold mine suspended production in late 2007). There are also some small-scale hard rock gold-mining operations. Alaska currently produces more gold (in 2015: 873,984 troy oz from hard rock mines, and 74,360 troy oz (five-year average) from placer deposits) than any state except Nevada. In
James Nash (prospector) October 1913. James Nash State High School was opened in 1977 to commemorate James Nash. The Electoral district of Nash was named for him. James Nash (prospector) James Nash (5 September 1834 – 5 October 1913) is popularly acknowledged as the first person to discover gold in 1867, in the area of Queensland, Australia now known as Gympie. Nash was born in Beanacre, Wiltshire, England, and migrated to Sydney, New South Wales, at age 23. In 1863 he moved to Queensland, working at Calliope and Nanango. Nash found rich gold deposits on an extended prospecting tour in 1867 near the