The Fairbanks Goldpanners struck it rich in the summer of 1964 with a poke of gold and a mining claim. All of this began in the summer of 1962, when KFAR began running live broadcasts of the Panner’s games when they were at the annual tournament in Wichita, Kansas. The radio broadcasts reached some far-flung regions of the Interior region of the state and before you know it, some Forty-Mile miners showed their appreciation.

The Pan Alaska Gold Panners, and 32 other state and bi-state champions were saluted last night at Wichita, Kans., in opening ceremonies for the National Baseball Congress annual championship tournament.

Teams from Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri were to play the first games.

The Gold Panners are scheduled to play the Greenville (Tenn.) Magnavox Sunday evening under lights.

KFAR radio station here has announced that it will broadcast the game live from Wichita beginning at 5:45 p.m. Fairbanks time Sunday. Announcer Bill Walley is at Wichita to deliver the play-by-play.

The game, feature of the evening, is reportedly to be televised throughout Kansas and Oklahoma.

Tuesday night the loser of the Goldpanners vs Magnavox game will play the loser of a game between the Cherokee (Okla.) Chiefs and the Lansing (Ill.) Old-timers.

In Wichita, Red Boucher, Goldpanner manager, said his team, which was the first to arrive at the tournament center, went the longest distance (4,700 miles) ever traveled by a team to compete in the Wichita tournament.

Boucher said members of the team made more than 15 appearances on radio and television in Seattle, Denver and Wichita.

The team worked out Thursday, Boucher said, under the lights at McConnel AFB and was to work out twice yesterday. A light workout was scheduled today.

In possession of a “poke” of genuine newly mined Alaska gold and lots of hope Goldpanner manager H. A. (Red) Boucher will board a pan American jet here tonight and head south to join his touring Alaska Goldpanners.

Boucher will join the Goldpanners at Grand Junction, Colo., in time for the series with that top non-professional ball club.

The “poke” of gold is headed for Wichita, Kan. and will be auctioned off during the non-professional baseball World Series beginning there on Aug. 17.

The leather pouch, filled with shiny Alaska gold nuggets, 12 ozs. in all, was the unexpected gift of two miners from the Forty Mile District who came to know the Goldpanners from radio broadcasts that reached their distant mining camp.

Boucher said the miners flatly refused to allow their names to be used but said the generous supply of nuggets came from Hall Creek No. 3, above discovery, in the Forty Mile District, being worked by the Squaw Creek Mining Co.

A second surprise gift to the Goldpanners from their two new mining benefactors was a 660’ by 1,370’ mining claim reputed to be “good ground.” The claim has been dubbed the “Goldpanner No. 3.”

The two miners ran into Boucher on a Fairbanks street one day recently and commented on how much they enjoyed the ball game broadcasts.

Baseball talk led to more baseball talk and before he knew it the Goldpanners were in possession of a “poke of gold” and a mining claim.

The Goldpanners begin a four-game series with Grand Junction tonight with right-handed Tom Seaver starting on the mound. Boucher said Walt Peterson, all American pitcher from University of Southern California will join the Goldpanners in Grand Junction.

The Goldpanners still have the “Poke of Gold” they were expecting to use for promotion in Wichita, Kans. According to Red Boucher, Panner manager, there was a little question in Wichita about the legality of selling chances on the poke and time did not permit the necessary promotion, so it was returned to Fairbanks.

Boucher reported the poke will be used in next season’s series with the Gand Junction Eagles.

Note: At this time, it is not known what happened to the mining claim or the poke of gold nuggets. After a little historical digging it was discovered the two miners were most likely Jack and Bess (Angerman) Wilkie who were mining in the Canyon Creek drainage in the mid 1960’s. Hall Creek is a small upper tributary of Canyon Creek. This homerun History Nugget has been brought to you by the Fairbanks Igloos of the Pioneers of Alaska. You can learn more at pioneersofalaska.org .