In the late 1800's, a Tlingit Chief named Kowee led two drunken prospectors to a creek which
emptied into Gastineau Channel. The prospectors, Richard Harris and Joe Juneau, found gold,
changing the course of history and the face of Alaska. On October 4, 1880 Harris and Juneau
laid claim to the area they called Gold Creek, one of the largest finds of the Alaska Gold Rush
era. Juneau is nestled between Mount Juneau (3576 feet) and Mount Roberts (3819 feet) giving
the town a scenic setting and providing protection against cold winds and permafrost. The
Mendenhall, Taku and Herbert Glaciers contribute to Juneau's mild climate, but also isolate
it from the rest of Alaska. The state capital was moved from Sitka to Juneau in 1900, but its
inability to expand has caused many to seek to change the capital to Anchorage.
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