Hall of Fame recognizes early miner contributions Agoff, Kanari, Quigley inducted by Foundation during November meeting in Anchorage
Agoff
Quigley
Kanari
T hree pioneers of Alaska min- ing history were inducted into the Alaska Hall of Fame Foundation during November’s annu- al convention in Anchorage. The 2018 honorees are Nome-Kou- gorok pioneer Tekla Kanari; Kantish- na pioneer Joe Quigley; and Iditarod pioneer Alvin Agoff. The Alaska Mining Hall of Fame honors early Alaska miners and offers a glimpse back in history to the early miners in our state, as well as the har- dy determination these pioneers need- ed to be successful before statehood. Legendary filmmaker, photogra- pher, and author Cheryl Fair was on hand to present the biography of her
tion access for others, including the RS2477 winter trail from Iditarod to Crook Creek on the Kuskokwim River. He was the consummate small scale placer gold miner that acquired an enormous knowledge of the history of the Iditarod district, which he gra- ciously shared with the AMHF. Alvin regularly attended AMHF inductee cer- emonies from 1997 through 2004, un- til the combined effects of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease forced him into retirement until his death in 2005. Alvin’s legacy lives on today in Prince Creek Mining Company (Alvin’s nephew, daughter and granddaugh- ter), the last heritage family mining operation in the Iditarod district.
great-great-uncle Joe Quigley. Here’s a look back at these three incredible Alaskans:
Alvin Agoff (1931-2005)
Alvin Agoff probably wouldn’t know what to make of hearing that he had been inducted into the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation. The son of a Russian immigrant, Alvin grew up in the Iditarod Mining district and mined on Prince Creek for decades. Besides mining, he trapped, freighted with sled dogs, constructed cabins and innovative mining equip- ment, and built overland transporta-
The Alaska Miner
January 2019
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