The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

Articles written by Reviewed By Sarah Hurst


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  • 'The Platinum King: Andrew Olson's Story'

    Reviewed By Sarah Hurst, Mining News Contributing Writer|Updated Jan 30, 2005

    When Andrew Olson first came to Alaska from Sweden, in February 1907, he had to hike the 400 miles from Valdez to Fairbanks. Mining pioneer David Strandberg paid Olson $7 a day to shovel dirt and gravel into sluice boxes and pan for gold. In 1938 his Goodnews Bay Mining Co. was handling more than a million cubic yards of dirt in a season and more than a million dollars worth of platinum. By the time Olson retired, in 1970, he could make the trip back to his homeland in just 24 hours. Olson saw and contributed to all the...