Don't know if this is definitive, but Keene Engineering was a pioneer in
California's gold rush country.
Mark is the son of the founder and would be a good place to start.
http://www.keeneeng.com/
Robert Dean
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ARCHAEOLOGY
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> National Register Significance of
Suction Dredging for Placer Gold
06/15/2010 12:36
PM
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HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
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Perhaps I am wrong on my timeline, but it seems like we are coming up on
the
45 / 50 year mark for suction dredging for gold/precious metals by
small-scale operations utilizing the type of small suction dredges widely
available today.
Since suction dredges are so ubiquitous to the gold-bearing streams here in
southcentral Alaska, I am starting to wonder if at some point we might
consider a particular small-scale suction dredging operation significant,
as
illustrative of a broad pattern of change in placer gold mining.
Whatever the case, I am simply wondering if anyone has already treated this
issue from a National Register perspective, or is even considering the
idea.
Though perhaps I am jumping the gun, as I cannot remember exactly when
small-scale suction dredges became available.
-Max Dean
