Alaska News

John Schnabel, star of TV show 'Gold Rush,' dies at 96

John Schnabel, a local legend in Haines and a personality on the Discovery Channel series "Gold Rush," died Friday morning at the age of 96, according to a post from his grandson shared on the show's Facebook page.

"He was an amazing father and grandfather. I am amazed by the amount of support you all have given our family and him as he has grown old. The years we had with him are truly a blessing and he will be missed," Parker Schnabel, John's grandson, wrote on social media.

John Schnabel owned the Big Nugget Mine near Haines in Southeast Alaska. According to the show's website, he suffered heart problems at 68 and underwent a triple bypass surgery. His doctor recommended he stay busy, so he bought the mine and taught his two grandsons how to prospect, pan and operate equipment.

He came to Alaska as a teenager when he left the Kansas wheat farm he grew up on to join his father in Haines. After serving in World War II, he bought a sawmill. At its peak, the Schnabel Lumber Co. employed 120 people. He was also Haines' mayor several times, built most of Main Street and had a share in the power company, a motel and hardware store, according to a story by Alaska Dispatch News contributor Heather Lende.

Current Haines Mayor Janice Hill said residents were saddened by John's passing.

"Everywhere I went today people were sharing the news and expressing their condolences," Hill said.

Hill had known John all her life and grew up with his children, she said. Haines locals who grew up in the town were likely involved in one of John's businesses at some point, as he supported a lot of the town through his entrepreneurship, she said.

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"We all do what we need to do in order to live here, because we want to live here," Hill said. "And he certainly fit that lifestyle."

According to his Facebook page, he worked his mining operation four months out of the year. He also played 15 hours of bridge a week.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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