Copper Nugget

An immense slab of native copper weighing 2590 pounds, or 1175 kilograms, was found in 1905 by prospectors on the upper White River, 250 miles northwest of Whitehorse. Recognized as the Yukon's largest copper nugget and possibly a Canadian record, it was retrieved in April 1958 when six men ventured into the wilderness to fetch it. Using a Canadian Army caterpillar, they hoisted the slab 400 feet to the riverbank, then, guided by dog teams, hauled it through wilderness, around two canyons, across a river, and over a blazed trail to the highway in an operation that took five days. The nugget is dedicated to the pioneer prospectors of the White River country, including Frank R. Miles, Harry Townsend, Frank Slaggard, Clem Eminger, Bill Blair, and others who staked claims on the White River between 1900 and 1958.

Yukon · Canada