Independence Mine - Near Palmer, AK, USA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 61° 47.492 W 149° 16.934
6V E 379664 N 6853069
Independence Mine, now a state historic park, produced gold and an or of tungsten in the Talkeetna Mountains northeast of Anchorage.
Waymark Code: WMB7EB
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 04/14/2011
Views: 4
Near Palmer, in the Talkeetna Mountains, are several mines that were under the same ownership, within the Willow Creek Mining District. These mines produced mainly gold as well as sheelite, an ore of tungsten, and the ruins today have been preserved and walkways and interpretive signs have been installed so that people can walk through safety.
The web site by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a good historical account of the mines; only a summary is provided here.
Robert Hatcher made the first lode gold discovery and claim in the Willow Creek area in 1906. Gold was found among veins of quartz in the Talkeetna Mountains. However, economies of scale make it hard for smaller mines to make a profit. So, mines in the area started pooling resources. Mines operated in this area until World War II, when operations were temporarily halted. Independence Mine was briefly allowed to continue since sheelite could be mined (tungstenwas more useful than gold during the war), but the yield was not sufficient and the mine was closed again. After the war, the mines started production again; however, due to other economic factors, the mines were closed for good in 1951. Most of the buildings and equipment were just left in place.
At its peak in 1941, the mine employed 204 men, created about a dozen miles of tunnels in the mountain, and produced 34,416 ounces of gold worth $1,204,560 (today, $17,208,000). The mine was far from the nearest town, Palmer. Thus, the workers and any family lived up in the mines. There were several bunkhouses, as well as apartments at the location.
Today, the mines are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and are part of a state historic park. The park covers two mines, the Independence Mine on Granite Mountain, and the Alaska Free Gold Mine on Skyscraper Mountain. Since the buildings and equipment were left, much of the site still contains some of the equipment used on the mine. Many of the buildings, however, are in terrible shape and have partially collapsed. There is a paved walkway all over the ruins, with fencing to mark the boundary of where people can go. There are also warning signs all around. Ruins include the smelting and machine shop operations, the trestle and track that led to the smelter, the old stairway shed that led to the mine entrance well up the mountain, and other equipment. Restored areas include a bunkhouse, an apartment building, the company building, and the entrance to the shaft that led to the mine entrance. There is also one of the mining trains that operated around 1941. There is a pdf of a map of the area; the link is provided here:
http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/indminemp.pdf
The park entrance is off Hatcher Pass Road, which is off Fishhook Road that is off the Glenn Scenic Highway. The mine is an easy drive from Anchorage. The fee for entry 'in season' is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.