JUNEAU

juneau, formerly harrisburg, a mining and trading town picturesquely situated at the mouth of gold creek on the continental shore of gastineau channel, south-east alaska, and the capital of alaska. pop. (1900), 1864 (450 indians); (1910), 1644. it has a united states custom-house and court-house. the city has fishing, manufacturing and trading interests, but its prosperity is chiefly due to the gold mines in the adjacent silver bow basin, the source of gold creek, and the site of the great perseverance mine, and to those on the treadwell lode on douglas island, 2 m. from juneau. placer gold was found at the mouth of the creek in 1879, and the city was settled in 1880 by two prospectors named joseph juneau and richard harris. the district was called juneau and the camp harrisburg by the first settlers; exploring naval officers named the camp rockwell, in honour of commander charles henry rockwell, u.s.n. (b. 1840). a town meeting then adopted the name of juneau. the town was incorporated in 1900. in october 1906 the seat of government of alaska was removed from sitka to juneau.