Biography - John Olds

John Olds, pioneer Juneau miner and hotel man. Olds was born in Cornwall, England, in 1850. He began work in the mines there at the age of 13 and in 1867 came to the United States and worked in the copper mines in Michigan. In 1871 he moved west and mined in Nevada and California and on Vancouver Island. Coming north to Wrangell in 1877, Olds went into the Cassiar and prospected and mined on McDame Creek. He moved to Sitka in 1879 and worked at the Silver Bay mines. In December, 1880, he came to Juneau on the little steamer Favorite with the first party of miners from Sitka and for the next six years was engaged in mining in Silver Bow Basin. In 1886 Olds married Miss Lila Prior, daughter of another pioneer miner, and the same year entered the hotel business. His first establishment was the Franklin Hotel, on the upper side of Front Street, near Main. This was replaced in 1892 by a much larger Occidental Hotel on the same site. Olds was active in many civic affairs and was instrumental in organizing the '87 Pioneer's Association in 1907. He died at Olympia Washington, on August 29, 1910, and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Juneau.

Olds Mountain - on the mainland 4.5 miles east of Juneau. Elevation 4453 feet. Named for John Olds.

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