Town of Chisana, Chisana, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, AK

Significance: During the final years of the Alaska Gold Rush, Peter "North Pole" Nelson and Billy James discovered gold on Bonanza Creek, seven miles east of Chisana. This discovery in the spring of 1913 spurred nearly 5000 sourdoughs to stampede into the Wrangell Mountains region and to develop the settlement of Chisana which became the regional commercial and social center. Tony Dimond, a Valdez lawyer and miner, was appointed Chisana's first U.S. Commissioner. Governmental property comprised the commissioner's home, the courthouse and the men's and women's jails, the latter unusual in Alaska in 1913. The humble structures reflect the introduction of law and order in early frontier settings.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-18
Survey number: HABS AK-9
Building/structure dates: 1913 Initial Construction