El Dorado Gold Mine

The El Dorado Gold Mine is owned by Alaska Riverways, Inc., and is located 10 miles north of Fairbanks on the Elliot Highway.

The mid-20th century was a turbulent period for the El Dorado mine, as gold mining was halted by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, and individual mining claims were hamstrung by the government's imposition of a fixed price for gold.

The mine was eventually purchased by Andrew Wescott, a Fairbanks gold miner, in the late 20th century.

Wescott, realizing that the profitable days of solo mining in interior Alaska had passed, began to rebuild the El Dorado mine as an informational tour destination for Alaska visitors.

The mine eventually became such a popular stop for tourists that Wescott could not handle the increased business by himself, so in 1990 Wescott entered a partnership with the Binkley family of Fairbanks in order to better develop the mine.