Independence mine again

More shots from Independence mine.  I took quite a few shots of the equipment but since I can identify what each one's function is I just put up one shot of a piece.  It was interesting to walk around and try to figure out what the equipment was used for.  Below is a little information about the mine....you can read more here if you want.

Robert Lee Hatcher discovered and staked the first lode gold claim in the Willow Creek Valley in September 1906, and others soon followed. But lode mining was expensive for an individual operator; it required elaborate tunnels and heavy equipment, so companies merged to pool resources and reduce expenses. 

What is now called Independence Mine was once two mines: The Alaska Free Gold (Martin) Mine on Skyscraper Mountain, and Independence Mine on Granite Mountain. In 1938 the two were bought together under one company, the Alaska-Pacific Consolidated Mining Company (APC). With a block of 83 mining claims, APC became the largest producer in the Willow Creek Mining District. The claims covered more than 1,350 acres and included 27 structures. In its peak year, 1941, APC employed 204 men, blasted nearly a dozen miles of tunnels, and produced 34,416 ounces of gold worth $1,204,560; today $17,208,000. Twenty-two families lived in nearby Boomtown, with eight children attending the Territorial School in the new bunkhouse.

Independence mine

We went to Independence Mine State Park the next day.  I've always like to look at old mines and this one was a beauty.  The signs may not interest you at all but I found them interesting and thus the pictures.  It's hard to imagine working at a mine like this.  I've been watching the Alaska : Gold Rush series on TV so this blog comes at the right time.

Independence Mine

I've always loved to visit old mines so when I saw this mine (Independence Mine in Alaska) mentioned in a book I knew that I just had to visit. This was the 3rd or 4th time that I've been there so I have lots of pictures of the area. It was very interesting to read about the place.....how they lived, how the extracted the ore, what they ate and how much it cost, etc. When I go to a place like this I always gaze and try to imagine what it was like when the miners were actually there. It was a long way from anything (like most things in AK) so they definitely had to entertain themselves (assuming they had the time).