KENNICOTT & McCARTHY
Copper was discovered in the Kennicott & McCarthy area in 1900. It turned out to be one of the richest deposits of copper ore ever found. With financial backing from men like the Guggenheim brothers, the copper claims were bought and mining began. The next hurdle was to transport the copper ore from the mines to Cordova, where it was shipped to Tacoma, Washington. Railroad construction began in 1908 at Cordova and stretched 196 miles to the copper mines. This railroad bed is the same road you travel on during your Backcountry Connection shuttle. Kennicott* processed more than 591,535 tons of copper ore and employed about 800 workers from 1911 to 1938.
The town of Kennicott grew quickly with a hospital, store, grade school, dental office, dairy, and bunkhouses were built for the mines’ operations. There were town dances, Christmas festivities, winter basketball games, an ice-skating rink and tennis courts.
Kennicott was a “company town” with strict conduct rules. Just down the hill, McCarthy grew into a miners’ and railroaders’ town. They had restaurants, pool halls, saloons, newspapers, dress and photography shops.
Today, the area is a national historic landmark. The National Park Service purchased many of the remaining structures, but several are still privately owned. At present, the National Park Service is working to stabilize the site and buildings are locked for visitor safety. However, tours into some of the buildings are available through private guided services.
McCarthy and Kennicott have about 35 year-round residents. Access to the area is via a footbridge. There is another shuttle service available from McCarthy to Kennicott, which are 5 miles apart. Lodging, restaurants, gift shops, guided ice climbing, glacier treks, river rafting, air taxis, museum, mine and mill buildings all await you at Kennicott & McCarthy.
*Kennecott: The mine is spelled “Kennecott”; the town is spelled “Kennicott”.
CHITINA
Chitina had its beginning as a supply and railroad stop of the Copper River & Northwestern Railway. Back in 1908, it was the primary town between Cordova and Kennicott, during the days of the Kennecott Copper Mine. A surveying engineer, Otto Nelson, owned much of the town in 1914. It consisted of 5 hotels, a general store, movie theatre, several bars, restaurants and dance halls. When the mine and railroad were abandoned in 1938, Chitina became a ghost town; however, some of these buildings still exist.
Today, Chitina is best known for its subsistence fishing, from dipnetting at O’Brien Creek to fishwheels near the Copper River Bridge. Most of Chitina’s current population relies on a subsistence lifestyle that includes hunting, trapping, and fishing.
From Chitina to the Kennicott Footbridge, the gravel road meanders atop the old railroad bed. Here spikes are still a visible hazard to vehicles driving above 25 mph.