It was a beautiful sunny morning as we left the Copper River Campground just outside of Chitna, Alaska driving on Alaska Highway 10 (aka McCarthy Road) for a slow going 58 miles of mostly gravel and pot holes until we would reach Base Camp at McCarthy. It was 42 degrees when we left, but it would reach 65 degrees before the afternoon.
The McCarthy Road winds deep into the heart of Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park and Preserve. Once the gateway to tremendous fortunes, it
is now the gateway to spectacular scenery, vast wilderness, and adventure. If you are willing to leave the pavement behind, this road provides access to many
natural and historic wonders of the largest park. Today's road originated in
1909 as a railway constructed to support the Kennecott Copper Mines. When large
scale mining ended in 1938, most of the rails were salvaged for scrap iron. In
1971 a new bridge was constructed over the Copper River and the rail bed was
covered with gravel, creating the surface we encounterd today on the McCarthy Road.
Narrow and winding, the road still reflects its railway origins -- in some places, we saw remnants of railroad ties. Traffic and weather often result
in ruts and wash board surfaces, which we were warned about before we began our journey. We were also told that they had been out grating the road, sound our hopes were high that I might not be too bad. We were also told that the road would end at the Kennicott River, a
half-mile before the town of McCarthy and five miles before historic Kennecott.
As you can see from the pictures above and below, the road was rough in many areas. Sometimes we could go about 15 miles an hour, while other times we had to slow down to 6 to 8 miles an hour, and even sometimes just creep across the frost heaves in the gravel road.
The large snow covered mountain visible to the north is volcanic
Mount Drum (at 12,010 feet), part of the Wrangell Mountains. Suspended sediment loads
of the Copper and Chitina Rivers are high, but the dissolved sediment loads are
low; these rivers are dirty, but not polluted. Millions of tons of natural
sediment, mostly silt and clay are carried downstream each year.
Several small pullouts offer nice views of the Chitina
River and Chugach Mountains to the south. The Copper River and its tributaries
(including the Chitina River) drain an area of approximately 24,000 square
miles. Much of this drainage basin lies within the park and almost 25 percent of it is
covered by glaciers. Because of this glacial influence, high water in the park's
large rivers typically occurs not during the snowmelt of spring, but summer hot
spells that cause rapid ice melting. Low water usually occurs in late winter
when everything is frozen, which was the pretty much the case while we were here.
The Chitina is a classic example of a braided river -- characterized by many dividing and re-uniting channels and by numerous islands and gravel bars. The braided channel pattern tends to develop in rivers that: a) carry a lot of sand and gravel; b) have fairly steep slopes, or gradients; and c) undergo frequent fluctuations in water level.
The Chitina River meets these conditions -- and in this area, it drops about 13 feet per mile, which is steep for such a large stream. Glaciers provide the stream with a great deal of sediment ranging from fine clay to boulders. Consequently, much of the sediment being transported to the sea is temporarily stored as islands or bars of gravel, sand, and mud along the Chitina River.
A few turnouts on the south side of the road offer good views of the Kuskulana River and bridge. Exposures on the other side of the road show the type of sediments that make up glacial moraines. The Kuskulana Bridge is perched 238 feet above the raging Kuskulana River.
At Mile 44, we get a glimpse of the Lakina River before crossing the bridge. Lakina River gets some of its water from melting glaciers.
Next at mile 45.5, we get a glimpse of Long Lake. Each year, an average of 18,000 sockeye salmon struggle up the silty Copper and Chitina Rivers to spawn in this lake. This is a unique run as salmon begin entering the lake as late as September and spawning continues until April. Glacial till and gravels deposited by ancient glaciers and glacial streams mantle the slopes around the lake.
McCarthy and Kennecott sit at the center of Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest park in the country. The wild landscapes and fascinating history of the area are renowned. Located in the traditional territory of the Ahtna Athabascan people who’ve inhabited the area for thousands of years, this national park was established not only to protect the land, but also to honor the traditions of people living within the park who depend on the local resources.
McCarthy has a population of 34 and an elevation of 1,531 feet (we were at 1,460 feet elevation at our campsite at Base Camp.) Kennicott has an elevation of 2,000 feet. The two settlements both originated with the establishment of the Alaska Syndicate in 1906, which later became the Kennecott Corporation in 1915.
To reach McCarthy and Kennecott required that we travel through the Copper River Valley. Also called the Copper River Basin, it’s boundary by the Chugach National Forest to the south, the Alaska Range to the north, the Wrangell Mountains of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to the east, and the Talkeetna and Chugach mountains to the west.
The 59-mile long (40 of which are gravel) McCarthy Road began as we crossed the upper Copper River’s only bridge -- where there was also a great view of the Wrangell Mountains and the river.
The town
site of McCarthy was founded in 1906 when John Barrett had the foresight to
homestead 296 acres at the mouth of McCarthy Creek. He leased the land
surrounding the proposed train depot site to the men and women who founded the
businesses which supported the rich Kennecott Copper Mine and other local
miners.
John Barrett himself was a prospector, reportedly discovering the Green Butte Claims that were located across from Bonanza Ridge. Mr. Barrett and his wife Josephine did not live year round in McCarthy. They spent most winters in the Seattle, Washington area, returning to McCarthy in the spring. They built a log cabin, as well as a large log barn and other outbuildings along McCarthy Creek near the Barretts’ present home at the corner of Nizina Avenue and Skolai Streets.
Their cabin boasted glass windows, a root cellar, a greenhouse, and other amenities. Barrett’s homestead had good water and land flat enough to farm. He grew timothy, oats, rye, clover, strawberries, and prize-winning potatoes. Before the completion of the railroad, John Barrett built a boat similar to the one outside of the museum. In the fall, he used it for his transportation down river to Cordova where he then traveled by ferry to Seattle for the winter.
1. The McCarthy-Kennicott Historical Museum housed in the Copper River and Northwestern Railway depot was built in 1924. According to the McCarthy Weekly News, the new depot provided, “adequate office space, a large and well lighted waiting area and heaps of freight and baggage space.”
4. McCarthy Air is a fine example of area aspen logs used to build this office by a local Dan Creek resident.
7. The McCarthy
General Store is a non-historic building, yet
blends in nicely with its historic surroundings.
8. Kate Kennedy House is a private residence. This small red house was the final home of Kate Kennedy, a famous McCarthy Madam. She came to McCarthy from Dawson City after the Klondike gold rush. Her first eight-room house burned in a fire in 1921. In 1923 she purchased The Alaska House which provided the best rooms and bath in town. She also operated a small establishment up McCarthy Creek which provided spirits and other entertainment for the miners.
Kate Kennedy was of dubious reputation but was known for her generosity. At the time her own house burned down, a donation was being collected for the Johnsons who also lost their hotel. No donation was taken for Kate yet she gave to the Johnsons.
A new owner
purchased the Kennedy home in the mid-sixties and wrote to her in 1966 or ‘67
asking about the house. Kate’s reply came from a rest home in Seattle,
Washington. She was unable to share much, stating “it’s been so long...so long
a time ago.” The new owner recalls the letter, saying “the language was of a
literate, educated woman and the handwriting was splendid.”
11. Austin Trim
Houses (private residences above and below). These two white frame homes, known as the Austin
Trim Houses, were probably built in the 1920s. Austin Trim prospected the Chisana
area during the gold stampede and later owned Kennicott River Farms. He resided
in McCarthy from 1920 until his death in 1926.
14. The McCarthy Lodge was reconstructed here in 1916. Once a cannery building in Katalla, on the coast near Cordova, it was dismantled and shipped via train to the new town of McCarthy. It is the oldest (privately held) building within the Wrangell St. Elias Park borders. It was reconstructed by the famous documentary photographer Captain Hubrick, who used it many years for a photographic shop and sundries storefront. During the late 1940s the building, along with Ma Johnson’s, was renovated by Mud Hole Smith, a famous Alaskan bush pilot, who hosted many fly-in tourists through Cordova Airlines.
15. The Golden
Saloon was an addition to McCarthy Lodge. The historic Golden Saloon used to
sit on the corner of Shushanna Avenue and Skolai Street. The Golden Saloon offers good food, drinks and an authentic atmosphere -- we ended up eating dinner here.
17. Lancaster’s
Backpacker Hotel was once a private home and named after a former tenant,
Slim Lancaster. McCarthy’s longest living resident, Jim Edwards, also lived
there. During Jim’s time there, he used Clear Creek for water, as many
residents still do, but he also used it to run his water wheel. The wheel was
built by Edwards and ran an Edison 1 circuit, 125 volt, 500 watt generator. The
creek runs all winter and supplied the family with enough power for lights at
50 degrees below zero. One year the snowfall was so great, Jim had to tunnel up
just to get out of his house.
18. Bill Berry’s
Garage is across the street from the McCarthy Lodge. Bill
ran a one-man automobile repair shop, worked in some of the area mines, and
accompanied hunting expeditions. He was half-owner of a local lumber business,
and he handled the coal, wood and ice business. His self-made boat is in front
of the Museum.
19. Ma Johnson’s Hotel was built in 1923 and opened by Pete and Ida “Ma” Johnson as a “family style boarding house, mostly for the Scandinavians working at the mine.” The Johnson’s first hotel, the McCarthy Hotel, burned down on Friday the 13th 1921. The fire was caused by a cigarette smoker. No one knew Ma’s real name until her obituary was published, and until 2009 no photo of her had been found. We do have plenty of stories about Pete and Ma Johnson from the newspaper articles that appeared in the McCarthy press from 1911 to 1938. Pete and Ma had a spectacular hotel for its day. Steam heat, electricity, and fresh eggs were all luxuries in any Alaska town in 1923. This building is one of the two remaining original false front buildings in a town that once had nearly a dozen such structures.
24. Hegland
Residence is a private residence and was likely built in the 1920s. Among early residents, an International
Workers of the World (IWW) organizer by the name of Kirkpatrick was reported to
have stayed here. Local history reports that he attempted to organize a union
at the Kennecott Mine, but when it was discovered that he was associated with
the union he was ousted from town.
26). McCarthy
General Merchandise (aka The Hardware Store) sits on the southeast corner of
Skolai Street and Kennicott Avenue. The original building, first located on
Shushanna Avenue was moved to this location in 1913. For much of its history,
R.L.H. Marshall owned and operated this business. His store offered similar
supplies as the O’Neill Store down the road, including hardware and groceries.
In contrast to the majority of McCarthy residents, Marshall was adamantly
opposed to the town’s whiskey trade. A
community effort saved this building when a brave young woman bought it in the
1970s, hoping to provide a youth hostel. Today the building is home to the
Wrangell Mountains Center, a non-profit institute that offers summer programs for students of all ages.
27. John
Taylor’s House is a private residence that sits on the east side of Kennicott Avenue
between the Hardware Store and McCarthy Creek. Based on newspapers found in its
walls it was probably built around 1926. Taylor was a prospector on Rex Creek.
He was known to carry gold nuggets the size of his thumbnail in his pockets.
The current owner began restoration of the cabin in 1981, pulling the cabin to
this current site away from McCarthy Creek to protect it from flooding. It was
skidded up the slope on slippery green cottonwood logs using a D2 Caterpillar.
29. This small
cabin is a private residence and is frequently referred to as “Shulze’s Guest House.” It also served
as the mess hall for the Wrangell Consolidated Mining Company in the 1960s.
Henry Schulze, a well-educated geologist or mining engineer from New York, is
remembered as a smallish man with massively large and strong hands. He
prospected summers in McCarthy, until he was over 90 years old. The two windows on the south side
were added in the late 1980s. The logs used in this house were once part of the
many bridges that washed out over the years. The original porch roof was covered in press plates. (Press
plates are tin sheets used to print newspapers in the early 1900s. As the wood
rots away, you can often read the old advertisements and articles on the plates.)
30. This is a frame home referred to as The Tjosevig House. Nils Tjosevig was a prospector who came to Alaska during the Gold Rush of 1898 and settled in McCarthy. When the Green Butte Mine closed, Tjosevig was paid to maintain the mine and its equipment. Nil’s friend, the blacksmith John Underwood, had a daughter visit McCarthy, and Nils knew he had found his wife. Jean Underwood and Nils Tjosevig married in 1920. Nils had spent much of his time in Alaska living in tents and he built this house for his wife. The garage out back was built to house their Model T. They had two daughters, Eleanor, born in 1922 and another, Judy, born eight years later. In 1938 when it became clear the Green Butte Mine would not open, the Tjosevig family packed only what they could travel with, leaving most of their possessions in the house. They resettled in the Seattle, Washington area.
31. The two Koppenburg
Houses were reportedly built by local merchants Archie Poulin and Sig Wold. These two
houses demonstrate what many 1920s residences in McCarthy may have looked like.
Though they appear similar, the east cabin is a simple, frame building, while
the west is a log cabin that has been sheathed with siding. Altering a cabin in
this manner was most likely a way to symbolize a rise in social status. Note
the outhouse siding made of Blazo Fuel Cans. Flattening fuel cans for construction
was a common practice.
32. This remaining Hollywood House was built in the 1910s and well known as a gambling den in old McCarthy. It was moved to its current site in 2008 and is being restored.
34. Below is the remains of O’Neill’s
General Store, which sat on the corner of Skolai and Shushanna. This two story
building had hotel rooms above the store. A March and April 1926 advertisement
boasted, “Celery, Green Onions, Tomatoes, Cabbage, New Potatoes, Bananas,
Cucumbers and Asparagus for sale.”
35. Below is the remains of the “Old” Golden Saloon.
36. The Commissioner’s Cabin (shown below) is visible in some of the
earliest photos of McCarthy and probably was the most elegant house in
McCarthy. This two story unpeeled spruce log house with the Dutch Gable style
roof was the residence of the U.S. Commissioner, who was assigned by a federal
judge to enforce the law in McCarthy. With most of McCarthy’s boom days
occurring during Prohibition, bootlegging was perhaps the most prevalent crime
in the town. Most of McCarthy’s citizens aided and abetted the bootleggers. The
train even sounded a distinctive whistle if a federal agent was on board.
Although a few surprise raids succeeded, most of the appointed commissioners
found it nearly impossible to enforce the anti-alcohol laws and resigned
shortly after their arrival at McCarthy. Others stayed for a while and found it
easy to look the other way.
37. The Mother Lode Coalition Mining Company Power Plant was built in 1917.
Its coal–fired boiler was powered by an Allis-Chalmers steam turbine engine
intended to power operations in their mine twelve miles away, however Kennecott
bought out the Mother Lode before the power house was used. This power house
may have supplied electricity to several wealthy McCarthy residents. Because
the Mother Lode Power Plant’s lines would often break in bad weather, Kennecott
moved most of its equipment to their own powerhouse in 1920. Today it is base
camp for St. Elias Alpine Guides.
41. Archie
Poulin’s Residence – the owner of the Alaska Soda Fountain,
Archie Poulin, resided in this historic building.
Wow!! Amazing. I don't see any people anywhere. It looks empty. No cars coming down the road . I love all of this and can't wait the next one. Safe travels friend.
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