Kennecott Mill Town: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Foster, Lance; Gilbert, Cathy; White, Paul; Worthington, Anne

The Kennecott Mill Town is a component landscape of the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark, located within Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. It is located along the south side of the Wrangell Mountains on the western slope of Bonanza Ridge, about 3.5 miles from the town of McCarthy. A remnant of an early 20th-century copper mining camp, Kennecott represents the mining techniques of the era and the associated lifestyle. The mines, which operated between 1900 and 1938, were among the nation’s largest and contained the last of the high-grade copper ore deposits in the American West. This also marked the site where the first ammonia-leaching plant was designed and used on a commercial scale, extracting concentrated ore from low-grade ores. Copper ore was discovered near the Kennicott Glacier in 1900, and in 1902 the Alaska Copper Company purchased the property. The character of the landscape contributed significantly to the town's development, as topography and natural processes determined the layout of infrastructure and circulation systems. Historic land uses in Kennecott reflect the activities associated with the mining and processing of ore, operations administration, housing, support services, recreation, storage for goods and waste, and civic functions such as the school, churches, and cemetery. These land use activities were generally concentrated in specific areas of the site. Other improvements included a dam and hydroelectric plant, which provided both reliable water supply and electricity for the camps and mines, and ariel tramways that connected mines to processing units more efficiently. In 1911, a railroad connected the Kennecott mines with the port of Cordova. A change in the corporate structure occurred in 1915 when the Kennecott Copper Corporation gained control of the mines, which rapidly developed due to the impact of World War I on the industry. As physical development of the town peaked around 1918, challenges emerged in the form of World War I labor shortages, geographic isolation, and the falling price of copper in 1921. The mines continued to operate and improve; by 1924, however, much of the high-grade ore deposits had been depleted, and mining operations closed in 1938. This was not the end of the Kennecott Copper Corporation, which expanded to become the world’s largest independent copper producer by 1974. Although some equipment was salvaged or sold, some items of equipment and infrastructure were left. Management was transferred to the National Park Service (NPS) with the creation of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in 1980. Increased visitation has led to some looting, natural forces have caused damage to the landscape, and structures have been lost to neglect or demolition. Additionally, much of the land has undergone revegatation. In an effort to preserve the remaining structures, the NPS has reroofed and stabilized buildings, removed hazardous wastes, and performed repairs as needed. Overall, the mill town retains much of the historic character from its time of operation, aided by its physical isolation. The spatial organization of the original town is still largely apparent, and a relatively large number of historic structures remain including remnants of the flumes, tramways, crib dam, bridges, and the railroad trestle. Additionally, mining equipment and machinery, structural ruins, remnant cable, and pulleys are managed as cultural resources, significant for their associations with the activities at Kennecott (1900-1938). Today, many of the historic buildings are owned and occupied by private residents during the summer, and the Kennicott Glacier Lodge continues to operate in a rebuilt structure. The largest portion of the site, however, remains mostly abandoned.

Kennecott Mill Town: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

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