Panning for Gold [1]
Gold! The very word may excite you. Perhaps you think of the gold rush that swept the nation in the 1800s, or maybe you secretly seek to strike it rich. It was these wishes of riches and glory that led people to the Alaska goldfields in the early 1800s. The Glenn Highway is host to a huge yellow gold mine, along with several black gold (coal) mines. Take a trip on this historically abundant highway, and though you may not strike gold, you’ll acquire a wealth of historical facts and stories as you journey through some of Alaska’s most majestic landscapes.
Gold was first discovered in Alaska in 1886, southeast of Anchorage. The Alaska-Pacific Consolidated Mining Company (APC) bought two mines and brought them together to become the Independence Mine. In 1941, the APC hired over 200 men, detonated approximately a dozen miles of tunnels, and generated gold worth $1,204,560-- $17,208,000 today. The mine closed in 1943, was designated a national historic place by the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and became a state park in 1980.
The Independence Gold Mine State Park, which holds remnants of the mine, is located in Hatcher Pass, a gold-mining camp 12 miles north of the Glenn Highway. Come and experience the fever of the gold rush while mining and panning for real gold. This 761-acre park contains a visitor’s center, museum, displays about mining and natural history, and explanations on mining techniques. Take a self-guided tour of the camp or sign up for a guided tour that will take you on a historical adventure inside the mining camp’s old buildings. But keep your eyes peeled-- the ghosts of Phil Coleman, a previous foreman of Independence Mine, and his dog Sniffer are said to haunt Hatcher Pass.
For more historical mining remnants, travel 12 miles from Hatcher Pass to Alpine Historic Park and see the remains of the Sutton Coal Washing Plant, a million dollar coal-washing station that was used for only six months before the navy adapted their ships for oil. Come anytime between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the park’s open season, and view displays of mining artifacts while brushing up on biographies of citizens who were integral to the area’s history.
Once you’ve had your fill of gold and ghosts, visit Chickaloon, a small village a little more than nine miles away from the Alpine Historic Park that’s rich in coal-mining history and is also an Athabascan Native village. The Athabascans, a native people of interior Alaska, have lived in the area for more than 40 thousand years. Stop and admire the intriguing native spirit houses that sit outside the Chickaloon Village Health Department Building, and observe the Ya Ne Dah Ah, or “Ancient Teachings” school, which is the first and only tribally run elementary school in Alaska.
Come to the gold mines and coal mines of Alaska and delve deep into Alaskan and American history. Experience the zeal of the gold rush, the stale air of old mines, and the chills of a ghostly mining camp. Learn about mining techniques, the navy involvement in the coal mines, and the history of the mining towns. Discover the exciting adventures of Alaska and have the time of your life as you explore Glenn Highway’s rich history.
