We too a trip to the Independence Mine State Historical Park the day before yesterday with Josienne and the kids:
As close as that looks to Anchorage (which is at the top of the Cook Inlet) it is over an hour and a half drive away.
This was an old underground gold mine that was shut down in 1943 because gold was not (and still is not) an essential mineral for wartime production. A "Barbaric Relic" according to Keynes.
Because the mine is at 3,500' and there was really no easy way to salvage the equipment and buildings, most of the stuff is still there.
You can see the old prime mover diesel engine, which no doubt powered an electric generator:
The site is, of course, spectacular. It is Alaska!
They recreated some of the living quarters:
That was a manager's house. The miners lived in bunk houses.
They also had a gravity powered air tram that the used to bring the ore down from the mine:
And a rail road that looked like it should be in a Bugs Bunny cartoon:
This is the frame for thee tram:
Amazing views down the valley:
You can see some of the tailings piles in the distance here:
And that railroad. It gave me the willies just to look at it.
They dug a "water tunnel" that the miners used to get to the stopes, saving them a 22 story climb:
Most of the wood structures were falling down: (but Doreen didn't care!)
Here is the old mine train. It included a Gardner Denver mucking car:
and Ore cars, which turned into Kid Cars:
There is a ground squirrel in this image:
Quite a place.
And a good time was had by all. (well, except for one little girl in the corner)
Yes, a good time was had by all.
This was an old underground gold mine that was shut down in 1943 because gold was not (and still is not) an essential mineral for wartime production. A "Barbaric Relic" according to Keynes.
Because the mine is at 3,500' and there was really no easy way to salvage the equipment and buildings, most of the stuff is still there.
You can see the old prime mover diesel engine, which no doubt powered an electric generator:
The site is, of course, spectacular. It is Alaska!
They recreated some of the living quarters:
They also had a gravity powered air tram that the used to bring the ore down from the mine:
And a rail road that looked like it should be in a Bugs Bunny cartoon:
This is the frame for thee tram:
Amazing views down the valley:
You can see some of the tailings piles in the distance here:
And that railroad. It gave me the willies just to look at it.
They dug a "water tunnel" that the miners used to get to the stopes, saving them a 22 story climb:
Most of the wood structures were falling down: (but Doreen didn't care!)
Here is the old mine train. It included a Gardner Denver mucking car:
and Ore cars, which turned into Kid Cars:
There is a ground squirrel in this image:
Quite a place.
And a good time was had by all. (well, except for one little girl in the corner)
Yes, a good time was had by all.
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