Pilz, George E.

George E. Pilz was born in Saxony, Germany in 1845. After studying mining and doing exploratory drilling for coal, Pilz came to the United States in 1867. He worked as a mineral examiner and mining engineer in Vermont, Michigan, California, and Nevada. Moving to Sitka, Alaska in 1879, Pilz financed several prospectors including Richard Tighe Harris (1833-1907) and Joseph Juneau, who made a major gold strike in 1880 at Quartz Gulch and Silver Bow Basin. In addition to this, Pilz organized or helped organize a number of mining companies in Alaska.

Prospector and miner;

grubstaked Richard Harris and Joe Juneau who made Alaska's first major gold discovery at Gold Creek in Juneau.