On August 26, 1901, prospector E. T. Barnette and Captain Charles W. Adams ran the steamer Lavelle Young aground up the Chena River which they mistakenly believed to be a distributary which would allow them to detour upstream from the unnavigable Bates Rapids to their intended destination in Tanacross.
Felix Pedro discovered gold in the Tanana Hills northeast of Fairbanks on or about July 22, 1902[REF] in a small unnamed stream (now known as "Pedro Creek") northeast of Fairbanks, prompting him to exclaim "There's gold in them there hills", and triggering a full-scale gold rush [REF].