Looking north from the shore of William Henry Bay toward the Lynn Canal on 1 September 1966
The bay is situated 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Juneau on the western portion of the Lynn Canal.[5] It is about 0.75 miles (0.65 nmi; 1.21 km) long and about 4 cables — i.e., about 960 yards (880 m) — in width. The Beardslee River flows down a few cascades into its head.[6] About 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of the bay is the Endicott River, coming in from the west through a narrow, deep gorge in the mountains.[7]
After copper claims were discovered about 1 mile (1.6 km) south-southwest of the head of the bay,[6] the Alaska Endicott Mining and Milling Company was established and began copper mining. In 1921, gold tracer mining was also initiated. During this period, the copper mining operations were not profitable and as a result, the mines were closed and the gold tracer studies were also discontinued.[6] At the initiative of the U.S. Government, in the 1950s, many prospectors tried to locate uranium in the area – what became known as the "uranium rush". This was based on the airborne surveys, which revealed radiation about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the bay at an elevation of about 1,800 feet (550 m). Noranda Exploration, Inc. and Nippon Mining commenced core drilling operations in the 1950s, but failed to establish a viable source worthy of economic development.[6] Efforts made in 1985 by Dale Henkins, who had nine continuous federal claims named the "Lucky Six uranium prospect," proved to be unprofitable.[6] During 2011, prospecting for gold and strategic mineral anomalies were pursued by Alaska state geologists, and findings of gold and strategic mineral anomalies (including rare-earth elements) were reported in William Henry Bay.[8]
^ abWilson, Herbert Michael; Renshawe, John Henry; Douglas, Edward Morehouse; Richard Urquhart Goode (1901). Results of spirit-leveling, fiscal year 1900-'01 (Public domain ed.). Government printing office. pp. 436–. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
