Mile 196 Kennicott

According to Wikipedia,

In 1903, additional financing for the mining came from the Guggenheim family and J.P. Morgan, who formed the Kennecott Copper Corporation in 1903. The corporation and company town were named after Kennicott Glacier in the valley below, which was named after Robert Kennicott, a naturalist who explored in Alaska in the mid-1800s. A mistake was purportedly made on some paperwork when Kennecott Mining Company was formed, forever spelling it with an "e". Today all the natural features of the area still carry the original Kennicott spelling with an "i", while man-made features associated with the old mining “camp” are spelled Kennecott. When the residents are collectively referred to, the spelling Kennicott is usually (and colloquially) used.

Kennecott had five mines: Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode, Erie and Glacier. Glacier, which is really an ore extension of the Bonanza, was an open-pit mine and was only mined during the summer. Bonanza and Jumbo were on Bonanza Ridge about 5 km, (3 miles) from Kennecott. The Mother Lode mine was located on the east side of the ridge from Kennecott. The Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode and Erie mines were connected by tunnels. The Erie mine was perched on the northwest end of Bonanza Ridge overlooking Root Glacier about 6 km (3.7 mi) up a glacial trail from Kennecott. Ore was hoisted to Kennecott via the trams which head-ended at Bonanza and Jumbo. From Kennecott the ore was hauled mostly in 140-pound sacks on steel flat cars to Cordova, 196 rail miles away on the Copper River and Northwestern Railway (CRNW).

On April 8, 1911, the first ore train hauled $250,000 of 70% copper ore. In 1916, the peak year for production, the mines produced copper ore valued at $32.4 million.In 1925 a Kennecott geologist predicted that the end of the high-grade ore bodies was in sight. The highest grades of ore were largely depleted by the early 1930s. The Glacier Mine closed in 1929. The Mother Lode was next, closing at the end of July 1938. The final three, Erie, Jumbo and Bonanza, closed that September. The last train left Kennecott on November 10, 1938, leaving it a ghost town. In the 27 years of operation, except for 2½ years of shutdown, Kennecott produced 4.625 million tons of ore averaging 13 per cent copper valued at roughly $207,000,000 with an estimated profit of $100,000,000. In addition, the silver by-product from this operation brought in another 4½ to 9 million dollars in revenues.

The last spike of the CR&NW was driven in Kennicott. Here are two photos of the event:


This is a view of the railroad and mine very soon after completion. Few of the later buildings are in place. The flat cars are most likely carrying pilings.

The railroad apparently entered Kennicott via a steep cut. Here are post-abandonment views:


There was a sawmill south of the main mill facilities:

The Historic Engineering Record has prepared numerous drawings covering many of the mine and mill structures in Kennicott.

This appears to be an early view focusing on the railroad facilities.

The large barnlike shed to the left of center just behind the boxcar is where the copper concentrates were bagged and loaded onto the freight cars. The somewhat later photo below shows an ore loading tipple in front of the bagging shed, the Kennicott CR&NW depot, and steel flat cars loaded with bagged concentrate.

This view from about 1925 shows flat cars loaded with bagged concentrate emerging from the bagging shed.

The very similar view below shows railroad structures. The smaller building with the station sign is probably the train order office. The larger building behind it is probably a freight shed.

I think the empty flat cars, which were the main type used to haul the bagged concentrate, were shoved up the lead to the end of track past the bagging shed. Then a switch was thrown above the bagging shed so that the cars would roll down into the shed when brakes were released. Then they were gradually allowed to roll through the shed by gravity as loading continued.

Here is a dogsled with dog team near the depot:

Here is a mixed train either arriving or departing Kennicott. A passenger coach or combine is closest to the camera:

Here is a view from November 1923 of equipment brought in, presumably on a mixed train:

The tank car may have brought in chemicals for the leaching process.