Nome, Nome County, Alaska, USA
Schrader and Brooks (1900, p. 11), USGS, who visited the town in October 1899, spoke of the "thriving young city of Nome, first called Anvil City, now officially Nome." Gold was found in the area in the summer of 1898 and the town got its start in October 1898 when six men met at the mouth of the Snake River and formed the Cape Nome mining district. The short-lived name "Anvil City" was derived from Anvil Creek, where the first major gold was found. In June 1899, gold was found on the beaches of Nome and by August a number of men were prospecting the beaches. The news of the gold strike was carried to the States that winter and in early summer 1900 the rush was on. At the peak that summer there were 30,000 people at Nome, but 16,000 left in 13 weeks (Rickard, 1909, p. 308=337). Nome incorporated on April 9, 1901. The population was 12,488 in 1900; 2,600 in 1910; 852 in 1920; 1,213 in 1930; 1,55 9 in 1939; and 1,876 in 1950. A post office was established here in 1899 (Ricks, 1965, p. 4)