Kennecott also referred to as Kennicott and Kennecott Mines is a former mining camp in the Copper River Census Area in Alaska. Kennecott was the center of the activity for various copper mines. The abandoned Kennecott is situated at the East of Kennecott Glacier, northeast of Valdez. 

History of Kennecott

In 1900, there were a group of prospectors who spotted malachite, chalcocite, and the location of the bonanza claim. There was an engineer named Stephen Birch who was hanging in Alaska in search of investment opportunities. Being financially stable, having support from known rich families like the Havemeyer family and a rich friend, James Ralph, Stephen could easily fund any project he felt was worth it. Stephen Birch took a keen interest in the prospector's discovery from 1901 to 1902. In 1901, he visited Bonanza mines and came out excited with what he found. The region was indeed filled with rich copper deposits that were waiting to be exploited. 

On June 28, 1906, he formed a partnership with Daniel Guggenheim and J.P. Morgan to raise funds for the construction of a railway steamship and mine development. Kennecott's mines included the Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode, Erie, and Glacier. The first ore shipment by train was successful in 1911. The year 1916 saw the highest production of copper ore, valued at 32.4 million US dollars.

Decline of Kennecott

By 1925, Kennecott mines were increasingly becoming depleted forcing some mines to shut down since the profit margins began to decline. True to a local geologist’s prediction, high-grade ore was all depleted. Glacier mine was the first mine to shut down in 1929.  Eleven years later, the mines that were still serving with the little profit gained also closed down. The area was left abandoned and deserted after the last train left on November 10th, 1938 rendering it a ghost town. In 1938, Ernest Gruening proposed that Kennecott be preserved as a National Park. From 1939 to the mid-1950s, Kennecott was deserted; in fact, only three families were around. The families served as the watchmen of the abandoned town until 1952.

The current condition of Kennecott

The camp and the mines were declared National Monuments in 1986 and are currently under the management of the National Park service. Kennecott is open for tours and visitors are allowed to walk around the ghost town and inside the buildings. A private, more detailed tour of the park can be arranged with the park's management as per a client’s wish. Kennecott is a great place to spend a weekend if you're interested in history and ghost towns. Just keep an eye out for potentially lethal animals such as snakes that may be lurking around the property.