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McCarthy-Kennicott, Alaska: Ghost Town
 here
isn't much left of the Copper River & Northwestern Railway
(affectionately labeled "The Can't Run & Never
Will" in its heyday). Abandoned boxcars in Chitina,
the railway spikes that plague motorists on the McCarthy
road, and the Gilahina Trestle (pictured below), are reminders
of the 131-mile railway that branched over to the Kennecott
mill and brought high technology to the Alaska wilderness,
until the railway's abandonment in 1938. Tourists willing
to make the trip to the abandoned mine site in Kennecott
will find the experience well worth it. Huge power plants,
rock crushers, belts and major equipment testify to the
wealth and power of "Big Business." Kennecott
was built in the wilderness to standards that are even now
hard to duplicate. There was a dance floor, a full hospital,
and even a laundry. Fresh fruits and vegetables were railed
in on a regular basis. What remains makes up the bulk of
what is perhaps Alaska's most spectacular ghost town. And
the nearby town of McCarthy retains the boisterousness for
which it was known during mining days. Photo: National
Park Service |
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