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The Tantalus Coal Mines

Coal mining has palyed a large role in Carmacks history. George Carmack ran a small operation around 1895. In 1903, Captain Miller of the steamboat Reindeer opened a coalmine called 'Hidden Treasures' along the river above Carmacks. Later called Tantalus Mine, this operation was supposed to supply coal for steamboats to burn, but not many boats ever converted to coal from wood. Later on, the coal was used to for heating fuel in Dawson. The mine closed in 1922 when the supply ran out, and the operation moved across the river to Tantalus Butte.

The Tantaus Butte Mine operated for many years afterwards, though it closed and re-opened twice along the way. The mine began to hire First Nations people around 1945, and for many years this was an important income for people who had settled around Carmacks. The mine was closed permanently in 1978 becasue of an underground fire.

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Miners at Tantalus Mine
1953
Carmacks, Yukon


Credits:
(Yukon Archives PHO 372 88/150 # 8B)