Carry at least one spare tire and an adequate car jack. Image of landscape, landmark, copper - 41207350 All rights reserved. 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.… 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. Alaska Railroad: Adventure Class or Goldstar Dome Car Service? Stops include Seward (Kenai Fjords), Girdwood, Whittier & Spencer Glacier, Stops include Wasilla, Talkeetna, Denali National Park & Fairbanks. But once the copper ran out, so did everyone else. Today, Kennecott is a popular tourist attraction and the National Park Service is currently stabilizing and rehabilitating many of the mill and town buildings. Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. Kennicott Ghost Town What once was the richest known copper mine is now a completely deserted ghost town. The National Park Service is introducing a series of exhibits among the abandoned buildings in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. You need a guide to explore inside the actual building. Today, Kennicott is a ghost town and McCarthy has a year-round population of just a couple of dozen people. This build­ing was con­struct­ed with local spruce in 1908, before the arrival of the rail­road. This abandoned copper mining camp is a National Historic Landmark District. Free personal GPS–driven travel guide to Alaska. Source: McCarthy Kennicott… Then in 1938 the town was abruptly abandoned by its citizens, leaving most of their possessions behind. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, The Ken­necott Hos­pi­tal was typ­i­cal­ly staffed by one doc­tor and three nurs­es. Containing the McCarthy Road and the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott, this area is where history comes alive. Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Although most of Ken­necot­t’s food was import­ed, the Dairy Barn was used to keep small cows that pro­vid­ed milk for the town. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Most people spend a minimum of two days exploring the McCarthy/Kennicott area. All products are produced on-demand and shipped worldwide within 2 - 3 business days. Overwhelmed by choices? The show completed its fourth season in November 2017. The site was center of activity of 5 copper mines. Now it's essentially a ghost town. This abandoned copper mining camp is a National Historic Landmark District. Highlights plus less visited destinations. Lodging is available at McCarthy and Kennicott. In 1987 it was rebuilt as Ken­necott Glac­i­er Lodge. While McCarthy has a year-round population of about two dozen people, Kennicott is … Peo­ple from all over the Cop­per Riv­er Val­ley, not just Ken­necott, were treat­ed here. Wash­ing and lock­ers were locat­ed on the first floor, and sleep­ing quar­ters were on the upper lev­els. The cot­tages on what is now called Silk Stock­ing Row were con­sid­ered very lux­u­ri­ous at the time because they fea­tured indoor plumb­ing. Kennicott was once one of the richest towns in Alaska, and it was all thanks to the copper mill seen here. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Kennecott Alaska Ghost town. In June of 1998, the National Park Service acquired many of the significant buildings and lands of the historic mining town of Kennecott. In any case it was named after the Kennicott glacier that is still in front of the Ghost (Mill) Town of Kennecott. The railroad discontinued service that same year. Offer subject to change without notice. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Post navigation ← Previous News And Events Posted on December 2, 2020 by 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. kennecott alaska ghost town. Video featuring the ghost mines: Tags copper mines , copper river , ghost trains , haunted alaska , kennecott , kennecott ghosts , … When the mine closed in 1938, McCarthy, like Kennicott, became a ghost town. 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). Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. There were businesses, shops, a train connection, and a lot of life. At the mill, the ore was processed using advanced tech­nol­o­gy to extract the cop­per. Okay - some say Kennicott, others Kennycott and still others Kennecott. On McCarthy Road continue to the end at Kennicott River. Please try again. The most intimate multi-day cruise option. No purchase necessary. 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 Kennecott Mines and mill town are an abandoned copper mine operation and ghost town in Alaska that together, form a National Historic Landmark District. The town was founded around 1900 when copper ore was discovered in the area. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Kennicott Ghost Town Reservations are recommended. Tramways con­nect­ed the 5 Ken­necott mines to this mill, trans­port­ing up to 1,200 tons of ore every day. Continue across the bridge to the gravel "McCarthy Road". This abandoned nitrate town was repurposed as a dictator's prison. We faced a few obstacles getting there: Caiya ripped off a toe nail chasing a rabbit on the drive up. Alaska’s most famous ghost town, Kennicott is an old mining village that retains Gold Rush relics, while McCarthy is a sister village, 5 miles away. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, The major­i­ty of the work­ers in the Ken­necott mines and mill were tem­po­rary. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, The log cab­in sec­tion of Gen­er­al Man­agers Office was the first per­ma­nent build­ing in Ken­necott. They hired Michael J. Heney, who had previously built the White Pass & Yukon Railroad. 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.  ...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. Take a guided tour with St. Elias Alpine Guides, a local company that has been granted special permission to take travelers not only around the town, but also inside the buildings. Accommodations, amenities, activities, the area, photo galleries, and contact information. There are several eating establishments and a bar. This small hos­pi­tal was the home of Alaska’s first x‑ray machine. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. He used dog sleds to haul entire steamships, piece by piece, from Valdez. Copper became an extremely valuable mineral at the turn of the century due to the inventions of electricity, automobiles, and telephones. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. 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. 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. Please check your email to verify your subscription. Equip­ment that need­ed to be repaired was then sent to the Machine Shop. Please click below to consent to the use of this technology while browsing our site. As the name sug­gests, it was a five town­house com­plex used to house man­age­ment fam­i­lies and cou­ples. Choose your favorite kennicott photographs from millions of available designs. Photo about Ghost town Kennicott, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska, Usa. All the Ken­necott bunkhous­es had cook­ing, din­ing, and recre­ation­al facil­i­ties. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated as a National Historic Landmark since 1986, Kennecott is considered the best remaining example of early 20th Century copper mining. Image of kennicott, landscape, park - 41207718 Permanent exhibit reminds visitors of the Exxon Valdez.  ...more, The Ken­necott School House was used to teach first through eigth grade class­es, as well as to hold church ser­vices. Today, Kennicott is a virtual ghost town and along with McCarthy has a year-round population of just a couple of dozen people. About Kennicott and McCarthy Kennicott and McCarthy sit five miles apart at the end of the McCarthy Road, about 90 miles from the turnoff from the Richardson Highway. 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. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum. 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. To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy. Today, both are laid-back towns that offer history, scenery, and a taste of old Alaska. A chemist named E.T. Soft shoulders have led to numerous accidents and vehicle damage. The Kennecott Copper Corporation lured workers to this isolated Alaskan mining camp with higher salaries than any mine in the lower 48 offered. Find how many days you need based on what you want to see and do in Alaska. Kennicott Ghost Town is a photograph by Alex Mironyuk which was uploaded on December 14th, 2019. Plan your journey with this gorgeous printed map. J.P. Morgan and several other wealthy families collaborated to form the Alaska Syndicate and capitalize on this rich mineral source. However, their stories of discovery, perseverance, and ingenuity live on! There use to be a staff house next door that was used to house female employ­ees and unmar­ried man­age­ment. Established in 1903, Kennecott Mining Corporation operated 5 mines in the area. The Ken­necott Post Office was locat­ed in a cor­ner of the store. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, Ken­necot­t’s com­pa­ny store car­ried every­thing res­i­dence would need, from dyna­mite to christ­mas dec­o­ra­tions and every­thing inbe­tween. Most of these services shut down for the winter. Five miles from where the road ends is the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. Soon, several mines were developed, and a small base camp grew into a mill town dominated by enormous processing buildings. Today, this old mill town is a National Historic Landmark, and has become one of Alaska’s most popular destinations. At 238 feet above the bottom of a gorge this span is known as the biggest thrill on the road to McCarthy. By 1938, all known ore deposits had been depleted. Source: McCarthy Ken­ni­cott His­tor­i­cal Museum, Orig­i­nal­ly, Nation­al Creek Bunkhouse was used as a bunkhouse as one would assume. The mines closed their doors, the railroad shut down, and Kennecott became a ghost town with only a handful of residents remaining. You’ll like­ly see fly­ers around town about these events, which are usu­al­ly held for no charge (though they may request dona­tions). The classic Alaska Cruise, offered by such companies as Holland America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Here are the details of what the McCarthy residents are doing now. 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. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Choose a round-trip Inside passage or one-way Gulf of Alaska Cruise. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. 2-5 day small ship explorations. 2. 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. Visit September to April to see the Northern Lights, Best Northern Lights Viewing Spots Near Anchorage, How to Travel to Alaska in January and February, The Best Large Family & Group Vacations in Alaska, How to Get from Anchorage to Your Cruise Port in Whittier or Seward (or the reverse!). 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