By Alaska Native News on Comments Off on This Day in Alaska History-September 9th, 1915
On September 0th, 1915, The Cordova Daily Times broke the news that William Van Valin, a noted explorer, lecturer, and teacher, had discovered a “Lake of Oil” a mile inland from Smith Bay, approximately halfway between Wainwright and Utqiagvik (Point Barrow)
Van Valin described and photographed streams of crude two feet thick flowing from the hills into the “oil lake”
Van Valin Staked a claim called the “Arctic Rim Mineral Oil Claim” but production never commenced as the area became the US Navy Reserve and ultimately part of the National Petroleum Reserve.
On September 0th, 1915, The Cordova Daily Times broke the news that William Van Valin, a noted explorer, lecturer, and teacher, had discovered a “Lake of Oil” a mile inland from Smith Bay, approximately halfway between Wainwright and Utqiagvik (Point Barrow)
