Holkham Bay

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Coordinates: 57°44′45″N 133°37′31″W / 57.7458333°N 133.6252778°W / 57.7458333; -133.6252778
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the bay in Alaska. For the bay of the same name in England, see Holkham National Nature Reserve.
Holkham Bay
Sumdum Bay
Sum Dum (Tlingit)
Holkham Bay and nearby mountains in the Chuck River Wilderness.
Coordinates57°44′45″N 133°37′31″W / 57.7458333°N 133.6252778°W / 57.7458333; -133.6252778
TypeBay
EtymologyHolkham, England
Ocean/sea sourcesInside Passage
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. width6 miles (9.7 km)
Max. depth217 feet (66 m)
IslandsHarbor Island
References[1][2]

Holkham Bay (also known as Sumdum Bay)

Endicott Arm on its east to Stephens Passage
on its west.

Etymology

Holkham Bay was named for Holkham, a community in Norfolk, England by George Vancouver. The Tlingit knew the bay as Sum Dum, reportedly referring to the sound of ice falling off glaciers into the water.[4] This led to the alternate name of Sumdum Bay in use today. Some mines in the area borrow both names.[1]

History

Map of Holkham Bay showing principal mines

The land surrounding Holkham Bay was inhabited by Tlingit people, along with much of the rest of Southeast Alaska.[5] European discovery and its modern name came in 1794 after Joseph Whidbey, exploring as part of the Vancouver Expedition, reported the bay upon his return to George Vancouver.[1] Whidbey reported several hostile encounters with the Tlingit on his journey.[6]

Holkham Bay served as one of the operational bases for Canadians working to define the Canada–United States border to resolve the Alaska boundary dispute in the late 19th Century.[7]

Mining

Gold was mined from

Frue Vanners, two Pelton wheels, a wagon road, a short tramway, and a wharf.[8]

Gold was mined by the Portland Group from a

silicious schist ore body containing gold-bearing pyrite, galena, and sphalerite.[when?][8]

Geography

Holkham Bay sits about 45 miles (72 km) south of Juneau, Alaska on the east side of Stephens Passage across from the Class Peninsula of Admiralty Island. Tracy Arm extends to the north from the bay to Sawyer Glacier. Endicott Arm leads southeast from the bay to Dawes Glacier.[1] Both arms are fjords, which formerly held glaciers along their entire lengths. The bay is separated from the adjacent arms by an area of shallower water.

Harbor Island is the largest island in the bay, with the Round Islets making up the other islands.

Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (to the east).[1]

References

  1. ^
    USGS
    GNIS.
  2. ^
    National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
    . Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  3. ^ United States. Census Office (1893). Report on the Population and Resources of Alaska at the 11th Census, 1890 (Public domain ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 47–. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Sumdum Mine, Sanford Cove | CoastView". Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  5. ISBN 0-87474-187-4
    .
  6. ^ Vancouver, George (1798). A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World. Vol. 1. London: G.G. & J. Robinson, and J. Edwards. p. 35.
  7. ^ "The Alaska Boundary Survey". Seattle Post-Intelliger. 7 May 1893. p. 4. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  8. ^ a b Arthur C. Spencer (1906). The Juneau Gold Belt, Alaska, USGS Bulletin No. 287. United States Government Printing Office. pp. 43–45.
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