Independence Mines

The Independence Mines, now Independence Mine State Historical Park, is the site of a former gold mining operation in the Talkeetna Mountains, across Hatcher Pass from Palmer, Alaska. The area's mining history dates to at least 1897, when active claims were reported in the vicinity of Fishook Creek. These early mining efforts were eventually joined to form the Wasilla Mining Company, which worked the mines from 1934 to 1943, and again from 1948 to 1950. The mining operation at Independence was the second-largest hard-rock gold mining operation in the state, after a larger site near Juneau. The company and the miners that preceded it built a substantial mining camp, with as many as sixteen wood-frame buildings, which were originally connected to each other by sheltered wooden "tunnels". When the company ended operations in 1950 it had expected to eventually resume them, but never did. This resulted in a particularly well-preserved collection of mining equipment and buildings, although the weather has since taken a significant toll on the latter. The mining camp was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The land was donated to the state in 1980, which established a state historic park on the site. The mine resumed underground operations in 1979 via Starkey Wilson and Chuck Hawley's Coronado Mining Inc, with the intent to base milling and mine operations on the Willow side (opposite the side of the State Park).