Showing posts with label independence mine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label independence mine. Show all posts
Independence Gold Mine
Thursday, 26 August: Part I
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The ghosts did not come to visit; and the noise level from the street last night wasn’t bad (earplugs d
We started our day off at a place that was a favorite haunt of ours in 2001 … a place that provided us with hot chocolate topped with a mountain of whipped cream and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon; fresh, tasty deli sandwiches; and yummy chocolate walnut ice cream … a place called Moose a’la Mode (on K Street, between West 3rd and 4th).
The café was doing brisk carry-out business with locals coming and going on their way to work. We took a table and ordered breakfast — bagel and cream cheese for me; a reindeer burrito (very good) for Mui. Mui deemed the coffee as good as he remembered it to be; I could find no fault with my hot chocolate.
A cozy setting to sit and discuss travels; maybe another time.
After breakfast, we strolled back through streets that were still mostly deserted, picked up our car, and set off towards Palmer in the Mat-Su (Matanuska-Susitna) Valley. We had several places in mind for today’s sightseeing, two of which were familiar from our previous visit. We decided to leave those for the afternoon and explore someplace new first.
Google Maps image showing today’s sightseeing locales.
independence mine (blue marker); musk ox farm (yellow marker);
spirit houses of eklutna (green marker).
The drive to Palmer was uneventful and we had no problems finding the turn-off that leads to Hatcher Pass and the Independence Gold Mine. We had hoped to drive the length of the pass, but the rental car agency had nixed that idea. So, we focused our attention on the mine instead.
the Fishhook/Hatcher Pass Road provides a scenic setting for
the drive to independence mine.
Hatcher Pass Lodge
Gold was discovered in the Anchorage area in 1886, ten years before the find that set off the “Alaska Gold Rush.” This discovery led to prospectors spreading into the river basins to test the creeks in the nearby mountains. In 1906, Robert Lee Hatcher discovered and staked the first lode gold claim in the Willow Creek Valley, resulting in the birth of the Willow Creek Mining District.
Independence Mine State Historical Park
In 1938, Independence Mine was combined with the Martin Mine to form the largest gold producer in the District until it was closed in 1943. Though the mine re-opened three years later, it was no longer a profitable venture. The operation was closed permanently in 1951 and left to crumble into ruin. After Independence Mine was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, a portion of the land was used to establish a state historical park. (Click here for more info.)
[map compliments of the state historical park website;
click here for a larger image]
I’m going to leave the color versions of my photos for the online gallery (to be published at a later date) and tell the story of our visit in sepia instead. (The visitor center was closed; I’m relying on information I gathered from posted signage.)
Where's the mine? Look up into the mountains to skyscraper peak to
find what’s left of the entrance to the martin mine.
The framing shop, which lies in shambles today, was once where
timbers for supporting the underground workings were cut and fit;
as were heavy timbers needed for camp buildings and other construction.
Construction of No. 1 Bunkhouse in 1938 brought the first “real”
bunkhouse to the mine camp. this building housed 54 men. considered
to be the best accommodations among the 38 mines in the district,
it had heat, running water, and electricity.
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Left: No 1. Bunkhouse (l); Engineering Office & Warehouse (r).
right: detail from the diesel engine that powered the generator,
that powered the mill, camp, and mine.
Glimpse into History
The four apartments in this building served as living quarters
for married supervisors with families.
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Two critical jobs were performed in the Assay Office — Testing and
Retorting (separating the gold from the mercury).
The buildings (lower end of the path) were repair and fabrication shops.
in the center was the powerhouse, and above that, the mill complex.
The Mucking Machine (rocker shovel) was powered by Compressed air.
It scooped blasted material over itself and dumped it into an ore car behind.
This track was used by trains that transported ore from the mine to
the storage bin where it was stockpiled for processing.
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Left: Built in 1940-41, the water tunnel became the main means
for transporting ore.
right: these rickety tracks were once a major transport artery.
Glimpse of the camp from the trail.
And to prove we were there …
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Left: amidst the ruins of the powerhouse.
right: transporting ore out of the water tunnel.
It was 1:00p by the time we were back in the parking lot. Though it was decidedly breezy, we took advantage of one of the picnic tables nearby to have a simple lunch before proceeding with our plans for the rest of the day.
Our self-guided tour of Independence Mine was most rewarding. Though a few people came and went while we were there, none stayed for an extended period of time. It was really nice to have the grounds mostly to ourselves. We enjoyed stepping back in time, if only for a short period of time.
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