45 SEPTEMBER 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource® The Search for Gold with Hillman Drill Rigs Adapted from Information by the National Park Service (NPS) In August 1898, the initial wave of gold seekers arrived at Coal Creek in Alaska, equipped with the basic tools of placers gold mining: picks, shovels, and prospecting pans. The sluice boxes they constructed along the creek revealed the presence of gold in sufficient quantities, yet extracting and processing large volumes of gravel proved to be a daunting challenge. Fast forward to 1934, when General Alexander McRae aimed to mine Coal Creek on a massive scale with his company, Gold Placers, Inc. Success hinged on his ability to ensure his gold dredge accurately followed the underground vein of gold known as a pay streak. To achieve this, he required not just a dredge, but also a specialized drilling apparatus. Ernest Patty, the General Manager of the company, understood attempting to prospect with a dredge was a recipe for disaster. Many dredge operators in Alaska had gone bankrupt by aimlessly maneuvering their colossal machines, ultimately incurring losses due to operational costs. Determined to avoid this pitfall, Patty opted for the latest drill technology from C. Kirk Hillman Company based in Seattle, Washington. In the early 1930s, Hillman began producing gasoline-powered drills tailored for the mining sector, dubbing himself “Hillman the Drillman.” His marketing approach focused on lightweight designs, claiming his drills were being transported worldwide via dog teams, mules, elephants, trucks, and airplanes. His lightest model, the airplane drill could be disassembled for transport on a small aircraft to remote mining locations, while its all-steel construction minimized damage from drops. The larger Prospector model could be adapted for truck mounting or fitted with Caterpillar tracks, wheels, or skids, depending on customers’ requirements. After acquiring gold claims from the original miners at Coal Creek, Gold Placers, Inc. purchased one of each drill model and began a thorough drilling campaign throughout the valley. As Patty explained, “We put down churn drill holes at 100-foot intervals across the floor of Coal Creek valley, the drill lines placed a thousand feet apart, up and downstream. As a check on the drill results, we sank several lines of prospect shafts halfway between the drill lines.” A churn drill simplified the process of searching for gold, as its bit both rotated and pounded downward. Introducing water into the hole created a slurry of crushed rock and gold fragments, which could then be pumped out for analysis. By drilling at consistent intervals, the team could compile a map of the creek valley. This valuable information allowed dredge operators to direct their massive machines toward the highest concentration of gold. As the years went by, the Coal Creek dredge crew continued drilling to enhance their understanding of the winding pay streak. They even dispatched the Prospector drill and a team 12 miles away to explore the gravels in the Charley River drainage. By then, the Caterpillar tracks on the drill had been substituted with log skids reinforced with steel, enabling the rig to be towed across land by a bulldozer. Major operations ceased in 1957, and today, the drills, dredge, and various other machinery serve as enduring symbols of the peak era of industrial gold mining in what is now the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. The “Prospector” drill moving from Coal Creek to the Charley River on a mission to find gold. The Hillman “Prospector” drill rig at rest. Photo courtesy of NPS, Chris Allan. A drill crew worker using the new “Prospector” drill rig. Photos courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Archives, Stanton Patty Collection. MIN j Sand j Manholes j Bentonite j Filter Sock j Sampling Bailers j Clear PVC Pipe j Locking Caps Atlantic Screen & Mfg., Inc. Manufacturers of Slotted & Perforated Pipe Ranging from 1/2” to 24” in Diameter 302-684-3197 FAX 302-684-0643 142 Broadkill Rd j Milton, DE 19968 www.atlantic-screen.com e-mail:sales@atlantic-screen.com Want more articles like this? E-mail: Bonnie@ worldwidedrillingresource.com
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