Independence Mine State Historical Park
(Mat-Su Valley)
(Printer
version Independence Mine State Historical Park)
GOLD! A magic word that time cannot tarnish; a soft metal with the strength to forge history. Gold was the magnet that drew thousands of adventurers to the last frontier. Though most Alaskans recognize that gold played an important part in Alaska's history, they normally think first of Nome, Fairbanks, or the Iditarod country. But even before a quarter-of-a-million gold seekers began their stampede into those famous areas, gold was discovered just southeast of Anchorage in 1886. From there prospectors spread into the Susitna and Matanuska river basins, testing the creeks in the nearby mountains.
They found hard rock (lode) gold
scattered in quartz veins throughout the granite in the Talkeetna Mountains.
These veins were created by hydrothermal action that filled fractures in the
rock. Erosion loosened flakes of gold, and flowing water eventually washed the
gold-bearing gravel into a stream. Throughout the history of gold mining, placer
mining has preceded lode mining, and this area was no exception. The
rough-textured gold found in the bottom of pans and sluice boxes hinted at
something more: a nearby source, or mother lode.
Robert Lee Hatcher discovered and staked the first lode gold claim in the Willow
Creek Valley in September 1906, and others soon followed. But lode mining was
expensive for an individual operator; it required elaborate tunnels and heavy
equipment, so companies merged to pool resources and reduce expenses.
What is now called Independence Mine was once two mines: The Alaska Free Gold
(Martin) Mine on Skyscraper Mountain, and Independence Mine on Granite Mountain.
In 1938 the two were bought together under one company, the Alaska-Pacific
Consolidated Mining Company (APC). With a block of 83 mining claims, APC became
the largest producer in the Willow Creek Mining District. The claims covered
more than 1,350 acres and included 27 structures. In its peak year, 1941, APC
employed 204 men, blasted nearly a dozen miles of tunnels, and produced 34,416
ounces of gold worth $1,204,560; today $17,208,000. Twenty-two families lived in
nearby Boomtown, with eight children attending the Territorial School in the new
bunkhouse.
By 1942, the United States had entered World War II, and the War Production
Board designated gold mining as nonessential to the war effort. Gold mining
throughout the United States came to a halt, but Independence Mine continued to
operate because of the presence of sheelite. Sheelite occurs in some of the
quartz veins along with gold, and was a source of tungsten, a strategic metal.
But because Independence Mine's scheelite production was low, the exemption was
short-lived. In 1943, Independence Mine was ordered to close.
The wartime ban was lifted in 1946, but gold mining was slow to recover. After
the war, gold could be sold only to the U.S. government at a fixed rate of $35
per ounce. Postwar inflation raged, and gold mining became an unprofitable
venture. Finally, in January of 1951, after mining nearly 6 million dollars'
worth of gold, Independence Mine was closed by APC, and a chapter of Alaska's
gold mining history came to an end. In 1974, Independence Mine was entered into
the National Register of Historic Places, a list of cultural resources
significant to American history. In the late 1970's, 271 acres of land were
donated to the Alaska Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation for establishment
of Independence Mine State Historical Park. On January 16, 1980, title to the
acreage was transferred to the State of Alaska.
The visitor center will open on June
9th from 10 am to 7 pm daily. Guided tours will start on June 14th at 1:00pm
and 3:00pm daily on weekdays. On weekends and holidays an additional tour is
offered at 4:30 pm. There is a day use parking fee and a separate tour fee. The
visitor center is closed during the winter.
Please Help Protect Our Parks
Artifacts should be left for others to enjoy. It is against state law to remove
or disturb them.
Road conditions to Independence Mine State Historical Park are subject to
weather. Check conditions before attempting the drive between September 15 and
May 30. The use of snow machines and off-road vehicles is prohibited within the
park.
Winter recreation opportunities include sledding, snowboarding, and
cross-country skiing. The park is open year-round to the public, however, the
Visitor Center is closed during the winter months.
Pets must be on a leash near developed facilities. Please remember, pets can be
annoying to others and frequently harass wildlife.
Do not feed the wildlife. It is unhealthy for them, and feeding ground squirrels
can lead to serious bites.
Discharge of all weapons is prohibited at Independence Mine State Historical
Park.
Private property adjoins the park. Please respect private property, historical
structures, and artifacts found throughout the area.
Source: Alaska State Parks.
For more information on Alaska State Parks, visit the Alaska State Parks web site.
Alaska
National Parks
Denali National Park,
Kenai Fjords National Park,
Lake Clark National Park,
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Alaska State
Parks by Region
Anchorage,
Interior Alaska,
Kenai Peninsula,
Kodiak,
Mat-Su
Valley,
Prince William Sound,
Southeast Alaska,
Southwest Alaska
Alaska State Parks by Name
Anchor River State Recreation Area and Stariski SRS,
Birch Lake
State Recreation Site,
Caines Head State Recreation Area and Resurrection Bay State Marine Parks,
Captain
Cook State Recreation Area,
Chena
River State Recreation Area,
Chena
River State Recreation Site,
Chilkat Bald
Eagle Preserve,
Chugach State Park,
Clam Gulch
State Recreation Area,
Deep Creek
State Recreation Area,
Delta
Junction Area State Parks,
Denali State Park,
Haines Area State
Parks,
Harding
Lake State Recreation Area,
Independence Mine State Historical Park,
Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park,
Kasilof Area State
Parks,
Kenai
River Special Management Area,
Kodiak Area State
Parks,
Nancy Lake State Recreation Area,
Ninilchik
State Recreation Area,
Point Bridget
State Park,
Salcha
River State Recreation Site,
Sitka Area State Parks,
State Marine Parks in Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay,
Summit Lake
State Recreation Site, Tok
Area Parks,
Totem Bight
State Historical Park,
Upper Chatanika State Recreation Site,
Wickersham State Historic Site,
Wood-Tikchik
State Park
