George Carmack
| George Washington Carmack | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | September 24, 1860 |
| Died | June 5, 1922 Seattle, Washington |
| Occupation | Prospector |
| Known for | With his brother-in-law, credited with making Discovery Claim, the gold discovery that led to the Klondike Gold Rush |
| Spouse(s) |
Kate Carmack Marguerite Laimee |
| Children | Daughter, Graphie Grace Carmack |
| Parent(s) | August Perry Carmack, Hannah L. Stiles |
| Relatives | Sister, Rose Watson |
George Washington Carmack (September 24, 1860 – June 5, 1922) was a Contra Costa County, California-born prospector in the Yukon. He was originally credited with registering Discovery Claim, the discovery of gold that set off the Klondike Gold Rush on August 16, 1896. Today, historians usually give the credit to his Canadian brother-in-law, Skookum Jim Mason.
Carmack's mother died when he was 8 years old and his father when he was 11. His great-grandfather was Abraham Blystone. Carmack briefly served in the United States Marine Corps aboard the USS Wachusetts and in Alaska before deserting in California in 1882 when he was refused leave to visit his sick sister.
Carmack returned to Alaska in 1885 to engage in trading, fishing and trapping. In 1887 he made a common-law marriage to a Tagish First Nation woman who went by the name of Kate.
Carmack was not popular with other miners, who nicknamed him "Squaw Man" for his association with native people and "Lyin' George" for his exaggerated claims. Nevertheless, he did find a coal deposit near what is today the village of Carmacks, Yukon which was named after him.
In August 1896, he and Kate were fishing at the mouth of the Klondike River when Skookum Jim, his nephew Dawson Charlie and another nephew found them. Prospector Robert Henderson who had been mining gold on the Indian River, just south of the Klondike, suggested that he should try out Rabbit Creek, now Bonanza Creek, where the gold discovery was made.
The finding of gold made him wealthy and the Carmacks moved to a ranch near Modesto, California and lived with Carmack's sister, Rose Watson (Rose Curtis).
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Wikipedia