In 1923, a floata­tion plant was added to the build­ing where the ​“fines”, ore less than 2 mm in diam­e­ter, were processed. about 3/4 mile away is McCarthy--a now reoccupied ghost town which is historically connected with Kennecott.Rides to the Kennecott millsite, 4 1/2 miles north, are available at McCarthy. He reassembled them on the Copper River, and used them, as well as horses and dog sleds, to bring in equipment and begin mining before the railroad was even finished. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. There are several eating establishments and a bar. Okay - some say Kennicott, others Kennycott and still others Kennecott. There are very few haunted places that have as many spirits deterring resettlement as the abandoned ghost towns and railways of the Kennecott Copper Mines. To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy. The National Park Service is introducing a series of exhibits among the abandoned buildings in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Rent a car and travel independently on a set itinerary, with lodging and tours booked in advance. J.P. Morgan and several other wealthy families collaborated to form the Alaska Syndicate and capitalize on this rich mineral source. Self-drive vacations. Reservations are recommended. See. Kennecott Mines: An Alaskan Ghost Town In 1900, a pair of prospectors hiking near Alaska’s Kennicott glacier discovered an outcrop of copper ore on a … Today, both are laid-back towns that offer history, scenery, and a taste of old Alaska. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, The Assay Office was built in 1910 and served as the labra­to­ry where ore from the mines was test­ed to deter­mine it’s puri­ty. Containing the McCarthy Road and the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott, this area is where history comes alive. Located deep in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, what remains of the towns offers visitors a taste of Alaska’s historic mining era. Brad Meiklejohn of the Conservation Fund helped the Park Service acquire the property in June, 1998. Accommodations, amenities, activities, the area, photo galleries, and contact information. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, The log cab­in sec­tion of Gen­er­al Man­agers Office was the first per­ma­nent build­ing in Ken­necott. Kennecott Alaska Ghost town. Photo about Ghost town Kennicott, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska, Usa. Campgrounds, RV Parks & Public Use Cabins. Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. Old Railway Bridge Leading to Kennicott Ghost Town, Kennicott Ghost Town, Hospital and Workers Quarters, Kennicott Ghost Town, Conveyor leading to the back of the Concentration Mill, Kennicott Ghost Town, Inside the Concentration Mill, Kennicott Ghost Town, View to the Concentration Mill, Bridge into Kennicott. Choose a round-trip Inside passage or one-way Gulf of Alaska Cruise. To get to Kennicott, you must park your car, walk across the bridge with your bags.Coming from Edgerton Highway through Chitina, the pavement ends at the Copper River. Lodging is available at McCarthy and Kennicott. Kennicott can only be reached by foot or the available shuttles.Remember, services are limited once you begin your journey along the McCarthy Road In wet weather the road often becomes muddy and slippery. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, Today, only ruins remain of Ken­necot­t’s sawmill and car­pen­try shop. Most people spend a minimum of two days exploring the McCarthy/Kennicott area. Image of kennicott, landscape, park - 41207718 In the 1960’s the Kennecott Copper Corporation sold its land, structures, and surface mining rights to Consolidated Wrangell Mining Co. In the Kennicott mines it was not gold that people were digging for, like in so many other places, but copper. Source: McCarthy Kennicott… Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Photo about Ghost town Kennicott, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska, Usa. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, The Ken­necott Hos­pi­tal was typ­i­cal­ly staffed by one doc­tor and three nurs­es. Image of landscape, landmark, copper - 41207350 Aug 18, 2017 - Discover Kennicott Ghost Town in Chitina, Alaska: What once was the richest known copper mine is now a completely deserted ghost town. You’ll like­ly see fly­ers around town about these events, which are usu­al­ly held for no charge (though they may request dona­tions). Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. In the summer of 1900, prospectors Clarence Warren and Jack Smith were exploring Kennecott Glacier and came across the richest concentration of copper ore ever discovered. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, The major­i­ty of the work­ers in the Ken­necott mines and mill were tem­po­rary. In 1986, it became a National Historic Landmark and it … In the summer of 1900, two prospectors, "Tarantula" Jack Smith and Clarence L. Warner, a group of prospectors associated with the McClellan party, spotted "a green patch far above them in an improbable location for a grass-green meadow." The mines were depleted by 1938 and the town largely abandoned. Kennecott, Alaska is a ghost town frozen in time. Which one is right for you? You need a guide to explore inside the actual building. Copper became an extremely valuable mineral at the turn of the century due to the inventions of electricity, automobiles, and telephones. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, Even though the Ken­necott Cor­po­ra­tion was built on the edge of a glac­i­er, they used the most advanced refrig­er­a­tion tech­nol­o­gy avail­able. High school stu­dents were sent to Cor­dovia or Seat­tle and board­ed with fam­i­ly or friends. There is also a museum at McCarthy in the old railroad station.Lodging and meals are available at On McCarthy Road continue to the end at Kennicott River. Profits were used to expand the corporation by investing in mines in Chile and the lower-48. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, These cot­tages were used to house man­age­ment and a few long-term employ­ees who were allowed to bring their fam­i­lies with them to Ken­necott. Stops include Seward (Kenai Fjords), Girdwood, Whittier & Spencer Glacier, Stops include Wasilla, Talkeetna, Denali National Park & Fairbanks. Between their hard work and the ingenuity of the founders, Kennecott Copper Corporation produced at least $200 million worth of ore, making it one of the world’s largest mineral companies. We faced a few obstacles getting there: Caiya ripped off a toe nail chasing a rabbit on the drive up. It took Heney and his crews 4 years of tireless labor in temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero to build the rail bed and bridges through the regions rough terrain. As the name sug­gests, it was a five town­house com­plex used to house man­age­ment fam­i­lies and cou­ples. Popular Alaska Itineraries Using In-State Airlines, Anchorage to Denali National Park Driving Map. Nat­ur­al dis­as­ters and haz­ards along the train route often pre­vent­ed the rail­road from run­ning. The Alaska Railroad is your transportation method. Wash­ing and lock­ers were locat­ed on the first floor, and sleep­ing quar­ters were on the upper lev­els. The green turned out to be malachite, located with chalcocite (aka "copper glance"), and the location of the Bonanza claim. A footbridge to McCarthy is available there. Kennecott Mines: An Alaskan Ghost Town California police disproportionately cite Black and Latino residents for minor infractions like sitting and sleeping in … Trips available from Whittier, Homer, Seward, Juneau, and Sitka. www.dcranephoto.com, Two buildings in the former mining town of Kennicott in the Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness, Alaska. Stan­nard invent­ed this advanced min­ing tech­nol­o­gy, and lat­er became CEO of the Ken­necott Cor­po­ra­tion. Alaska Railroad: Adventure Class or Goldstar Dome Car Service? Then in 1938 the town was abruptly abandoned by its citizens, leaving most of their possessions behind. All the Ken­necott bunkhous­es had cook­ing, din­ing, and recre­ation­al facil­i­ties. Almost all the cot­tages are now pri­vate­ly owned. While McCarthy has a year-round population of about two dozen people, Kennicott is … At the mill, the ore was processed using advanced tech­nol­o­gy to extract the cop­per. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Portions of the road may be subject to washouts after heavy rains. Today, in McCarthy, you can wander around to explore the old buildings like the Powerhouse or enjoy time at the McCarthy-Kennicott Historical Museum. Tramways con­nect­ed the 5 Ken­necott mines to this mill, trans­port­ing up to 1,200 tons of ore every day. Winner will be selected at random on 02/01/2021. Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. The iconic view in Kennicott is the giant red mill building from the old Kennecott Copper Company, which stands 14 stories above the Kennicott glacier (the different spellings are due to clerical mistakes on official paperwork a century ago). Although most of Ken­necot­t’s food was import­ed, the Dairy Barn was used to keep small cows that pro­vid­ed milk for the town. An auroral research program that superheats the ionosphere. There were businesses, shops, a train connection, and a lot of life. Highlights plus less visited destinations. The school’s recre­ation­al facil­i­ties were con­sid­ered very pro­gres­sive at the time. Now it's essentially a ghost town. The cot­tages on what is now called Silk Stock­ing Row were con­sid­ered very lux­u­ri­ous at the time because they fea­tured indoor plumb­ing. By 1938, Kennecott was a ghost town. www.dcranephoto.com, Kennicott Ghost Town, Old stairs to the Concentration Mill. Here are the details of what the McCarthy residents are doing now. The town was founded around 1900 when copper ore was discovered in the area. The show completed its fourth season in November 2017. Since the middle of the 1950s the place has been completely deserted. Continue across the bridge to the gravel "McCarthy Road". Please try again. Kennecott is an abandoned copper mining camp in Alaska which is situated in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area. Five miles from where the road ends is the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. In 1900, a pair of prospectors hiking near Alaska’s Kennicott glacier discovered an outcrop of copper ore on a mountainside about 100 miles … The eerie ruins of an isolated abandoned town nicknamed "the Widowmaker" for its deadly gold mine. Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. Ammo­nia cool­ing and a mechan­i­cal­ly cooled meat lock­er were used to keep meat and oth­er per­ish­ables fresh for the min­ing town. The site was center of activity of 5 copper mines. There was also a small com­mu­ni­ty gar­den out­side where some fruits and veg­eta­bles were grown. The Great Kennecott Land Company was formed in 1976 and the town and surrounding land was subdivided and put up for sale to private owners. Please check your email to verify your subscription. It was built in 1924 after a fire destroyed the orig­i­nal pow­er house. After copper was discovered in the area in 1900, a group of wealthy investors formed the Kennicott Copper Corporation (named when a clerical worker misspelled Kennicott) to mine the incredibly rich veins in the jagged mountains above the Kennicott and Root Glaciers. A group of doctors and lawyers from Anchorage purchased the property (including Jim Harrower, an Anchorage dentist who ran a wilderness lodge deep in the Alaska Range on the Stony River--where Alaska.org founder Bob Kaufman spent his first winter in Alaska in 1988). In the bunkhous­es, two to four men shared a room. The most intimate multi-day cruise option. Today, this old mill town is a National Historic Landmark, and has become one of Alaska’s most popular destinations. Equip­ment that need­ed to be repaired was then sent to the Machine Shop. The Kennecott Mines and mill town are an abandoned copper mine operation and ghost town in Alaska that together, form a National Historic Landmark District. Peo­ple from all over the Cop­per Riv­er Val­ley, not just Ken­necott, were treat­ed here. There are numerous adventure services available, such as flight seeing around the Wrangell Mountain Range, rafting, mountaineering, and guided historic and wilderness tours. kennecott alaska ghost town. This small hos­pi­tal was the home of Alaska’s first x‑ray machine. All rights reserved. The old mining town of Kennicott in the US state of Alaska is located on the south slopes of Wrangell mountain close to the Kennicott Glacier, about five miles up from the small town of McCarthy. The road follows the route of the previous CRNW Railroad, starting in the town of Chitina and ending a 1/2 mile before McCarthy. The photograph may be purchased as wall art, home decor, apparel, phone cases, greeting cards, and more. Travel on a set itinerary with lodging and tours booked in advance. Kennecott Mines: An Alaskan Ghost Town In 1900, a pair of prospectors hiking near Alaska’s Kennicott glacier discovered an outcrop of copper ore on a mountainside about 100 miles inland from Valdez. But once the copper ran out, so did everyone else. Most worked here for 6 months, 7 days a week.  ...more, The Machine Shop at Ken­necott Mines was used to house large inven­to­ries of spare equip­ment so that any bro­ken machi­nary at the mines or mill could quick­ly be replaced.  ...more, The orig­i­nal Staff Five-plex build­ing that was con­struct­ed in 1916 burn­down in 1983. Steven Birch, a mining engineer, was hired to develop the Kennecott mining claims. What once was the richest known copper mine is now a completely deserted ghost town. This build­ing was con­struct­ed with local spruce in 1908, before the arrival of the rail­road. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Addi­tions were added to pro­vide more space for the office, safe, pay­roll, and draft­ing. In the 1960’s the Kennecott Copper Corporation sold its land, structures, and surface mining rights to Consolidated Wrangell Mining Co. Unlike Kennicott, however, McCarthy has always had a few hardy souls who have made it their home. Today, Kennicott is a ghost town and McCarthy has a year-round population of just a couple of dozen people. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, Con­struc­tion of this 14-sto­ry state-of-the-art mill began in 1908 and took 10 years to com­plete. The Ken­necott Post Office was locat­ed in a cor­ner of the store. Partly because alcoholic beverages and sex work were forbidden in Kennicott, a nearby village, McCarthy, grew as an area to provide illicit services not available in the company town. ‘Edge of Alaska,’ chronicled the day-to-day activities of people of McCarthy, Alaska and the lives of forty residents, including Jeremy Keller and his wife Alison, Neil Darish, Jenny Rosenbaum and more. Let us simplify it for you, How much does an Alaska summer vacation cost? Use our calculator to find out, Stay casual, dress in layers, and get proper footwear, Guides to the best locations around the state to view wildlife. Post navigation ← Previous News And Events Posted on December 2, 2020 by The plant once pro­duced enough steam-gen­er­at­ed elec­tric­i­ty to run the mines up in the moun­tains as well as the entire town, includ­ing heat­ing the build­ings and even melt­ing snow off the sidewalks.… See Alaska's highlights by railroad or motorcoach in a group of up to 50, Travel in small groups, stay at exclusive wilderness lodges, and spend more time outdoors, All-inclusive multi-day vacation packages at a remote wilderness lodge, Travel with a professional photographer to the best photo locations around the state, Trips range from backpacking, rafting, to upscale remote lodge retreats, Cruises depart Juneau or Sitka.  ...more, The Ken­necott School House was used to teach first through eigth grade class­es, as well as to hold church ser­vices. In the 27 years the mine was in full operation, the company made more than $100 million, and a company town grew around the mines. This off-the-beaten-path abandoned town is a relic of Montana's silver mining boom. Ghosts from the old territorial days are all around the last frontier. The railroad discontinued service that same year. Offer subject to change without notice. Car, train, or group tour. The town Kennicott in Alaska was once flourishing, full of workers who came to the town in search of wealth and work in the mines. Kennecott or Kennicott (also known as Kennecott Mines) is a former mining camp, now completely abandoned, situated in the Valdez-Cordova Cenzus Area in Alaska, United States of America. Overwhelmed by choices? Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Focus on Denali & Kenai Fjords. They hired Michael J. Heney, who had previously built the White Pass & Yukon Railroad. Your must-have activity guide + map while in Alaska. Most of the machi­nary is still intact today. There use to be a staff house next door that was used to house female employ­ees and unmar­ried man­age­ment. A chemist named E.T. Abandoned in 1938 the Kennecott Mines are now a National Historic Landmark with it's abundance of historic buildings. In any case it was named after the Kennicott glacier that is still in front of the Ghost (Mill) Town of Kennecott. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you.