Page 57 - Richardson And Glenn Highways (East Alaska)

Bearfoot Checkpoint: Copper Center is located at Mile 100 of the Richardson Highway. Population around 300. COPPER CENTER
COPPER CENTER
Fishing and history on a loop road 15 miles south of Glennallen. The town's original name is Kluti-Kaah.
MAP OF COPPER CENTER
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Glennallen D
'*111"01 • Viewpoint Tazlina
Tazlina River
~&ii""1 ~• Rest Area
MINERS ARRIVED HERE
In the spring of 1898, 4,000 gold miners arrived in the port of Valdez on small ships. They had been told there was gold in the Copper River Valley. There were no roads north, so they hauled their provisions on sleds up over the Valdez Glacier. Arriving at Klutina Lake, they built rough spruce boats, and launched them into the wild Klutina River. Their destination was Copper Center. The entire summer of 1898 was a disastrous quest for gold. Most of the Copper Valley is an ancient, sandy lake bed - not gold country. Bythe fall of 1898, many miners trudged back over the glaciers, anxious to return home. Some stubborn miners stayed and built cabins in Copper Center. They spent the winter suffering from scurvy and a lack of food.
OLD LOG CABINS There are plenty of old log cabins in Copper Cen- ter, built near the turn of the last century. Each cabin played a part in the story of a daily life that was much different than today.
~III~" Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 'Mil.,. t.
I'J ~ Visitor Center • Cek'aediHwnax
.~I 'Legacy House'
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Princess rl¢",, 'IMJ
OldT own
Copper ~ Center
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l Kluti-Kaah
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