egardless that this mining venture was a bust, the McKinley Lake Mine ruins provide an The cKinley Lake Mine McKinley Lake Mine's mill may have worked like this typical amalgamation–concentration mill. R interesting glimpse of life in an early 1900s became a most M significant gold mining camp. Remember, this is a historic site. c ckinleykinley akeake business endeavor for Some of the most important MM LL The milling process starts at the top. Rough ore is delivered in carts along a tram line and dumped information learned about a g er fizzle Dr. Will H. Chase, CRUSH old fev Cordova's mayor (for over a screen. Large chunks go to a coarse jaw crusher 1 and are crushed into morsels. These historic site is found in morsels tumble down to the next stage, fine grinding. architecture and archeology. Cordova Daily Alaskan minemine 24 terms) and doctor. Please leave things the way Determined that a you find them. Do not damage CORDOVA, ALASKA, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1910. mining boom would 2 property that is not yours. enhance Cordova, Dr. GRINDThe morsels are ground into sand–sized particles in the ball mill. The particles are screened to ANOTHER RICH STRIKE AT McKINLEY LAKE Chase pursued this assure a uniform size, then washed down to the recovery process. Removing objects from a ill H. r. W dream for years. site, even those that look A Big Ledge of Gold Quartz is Discovered, the old fever D like trash, obliterates clues Assays From infected n 1915, he hired a mining engineer and about the past. Vandalism is Which Run Fr G the good assayer to study the district. Study results RECOVERGround ore slurry is processed over and over with different methods until every bit of valuable Four miners at the Lucky Strike Mine (McKinley Lake Mine), one of the worst things you $176.80 to the om $25.20 to judgment of many were cautious—expensive development and ore is recovered. One method is flotation recovery; ground ore slurry is agitated to create date and persons unknown. CORDOVA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO, can do to a historic site. Please respect Ton. I DR. W.H. CHASE COLLECTION Alaskans and grand effort would be necessary to produce profit. bubbles. Adding specific chemicals to the bubbles causes some minerals to float where they are this area and be considerate to all who will visit Cordova residents Undeterred, Dr. Chase formed the Cordova Mining skimmed off. Another method pulses water through a jig, a box–like device over a screen which octor Chase remained determined. In 1944, after you. By doing so, you are helping to preserve are no exception. and Development Company. World War I halted his separates minerals according to size and weight. Finally, at the end of the recovery process, he reorganized again as the Alaska Lucky and protect this historic site. Remains of an abandoned mine and mining camp efforts. In 1925, promoting the (newly leased) concentration tables 3 collect any remaining valuable ore. Strike Mine. His reputation as a doctor and D lie 20 miles east of Cordova. Collapsed adits and Lucky Strike Mine, he states, “it is my belief that in mayor helped him sell stock to local businessmen xploring abandoned mines can be dangerous. shafts, building ruins, small gauge rails, and a short time the McKinley District will rank high Spiral Concentrator and residents as he continued assessment and Be very careful. Never enter an abandoned rusting equipment tell the story of gold fever and among the Alaska producers.” Despite this Submerged in ore slurry, this device spun promotion work. Finally, in the 1960s, he let the E tunnel or shaft under any conditions. Do not climb on equipment or buildings. McKinley Lake Mine deluded investors, mostly Cordova residents, who optimism, success was limited. After another continuously to pull oversized ore particles claims lapse. No known records exist of sustained back up to the ball mill for regrinding. sank their savings into a profitless mine. For half reorganization in 1933, now the McKinley Lake Gold gold production in the district. Only 16 ounces of had numerous safety hazards prior to 2000. To a century, money was raised and spent to develop Mines Ltd., Inc., Dr. Chase’s company was stopped gold and 9 ounces of silver were ever produced! eliminate these hazards, the Forest Service worked with the Alaska Office of History and Archeology and the McKinley Lake Mine with confident hopes that by World War II before any gold was produced. Concentration Table For nearly 70 years, claim holders and promoters, A motor vibrates this table slightly and the the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Three a mining boom would bring prosperity to Cordova. 1 motivated by overly optimistic assay values, Discouragingly, that boom never came. shallow riffles on top catch specific metals dumped money into a bottomless pit without mine shafts and one adit were closed. The unstable Jaw Crusher sloshing in the slurry. remains of the mill building were cut to hasten its knowledge of proven ore reserve quantities. old was first discovered north of McKinley Crushers have settling. Efforts were made to make the site safer two plates that 3 yet retain its character and integrity as an early Lake in 1898. Prospectors worked the area open and mining camp. Even though safety work was done, G sporadically until activity exploded in shut like animal jaws. please be careful as you explore the area. Enjoy 1906. In the next three years, more than one your visit to the McKinley Lake Mine. This site hundred lode claims were filed. By 1910, the helped shape Cordova’s early history and helps us Cordova Daily Alaskan reported encouraging understand how miners lived and worked during assay samples from the area. Prominent Ball Mill Cordova’s gold fever infection. Cordova businessmen visited the McKinley Steel balls inside the ball Lake District and learned that the newly mill tumble the morsels 2 established McKinley Lake Mining Co. had into sand–sized particles. This brochure was a cooperative effort driven over 600 feet of tunnels, spent over Centrifugal force pushes large steel balls towards the feed with the U.S. Forest Service, the Alaska Office of History and $25,000, and was shipping ore to a Lower 48 Archeology, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources— end and small balls towards Abandoned Mine Land Program. smelter. Local investments helped speed up the discharge, effectively this development and by 1912, claim owners were Top photo: Dr. Chase (right) with unidentified miner, creating uniform particles. McKinley Lake Gold Mines, Ltd., Inc. stock certificate signed desıgned by hoping to attract outside capital and develop the bottom photo: Mac McAllister, mayor of Allaganik, inspects by W.H. Chase, President, and I.D. Bogart, Secretary, 1940. ChugachDesıgnGroup properties on a larger scale. entrance to adit, McKinley Lake District, dates unknown. COURTESY OF THE STATE OF ALASKA DEPT. OF NATURAL CORDOVA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTOS, RESOURCES— ABANDONED MINE LAND PROGRAM Professional Design for Public Service DR. W.H. CHASE COLLECTION Based on illustrations from The International Correspondence Schools Reference Library, courtesy of BenchMark Publishing of Colorado 3 This winch powered a tram Inclined Shaft Trench The Trench Shaft The Inclined Shaft descending into the Inclined Shaft. Shaft Corduroy Log Bridge The Mill Creek Shaft STATE OF ALASKA Road CHUGACH NATL. FOREST PHOTO Open Cut 1 STATE OF DEPT. OF 3 ALASKA DNR NATURAL 2 Trench RESOURCES— 6 Mill Creek ABANDONED MINE Trench Shaft Trench 4 5 LAND PROGRAM 12 Trench Daylight PHOTO. Adit Workshop Waste Rock Area After US Piles Before FOREST The Trench and Mill Creek Shafts were dug in the After 4 SERVICE After B l late 1930s to access the Little Fissure Vein. The a c legend Excavation of the Inclined CHUGACH k s Small Gauge Rails Trench shaft, a small vertical shaft reportedly 20 CHUGACH NATL. FOREST NATIONAL m Log Shaft began in 1938, one of i Platform feet deep, exposed the center area of the vein. PHOTOS FOREST Shaft/Adit Before the first areas mined at the t The Mill Creek shaft, described by Dr. Chase as h 7 Pipe Mill Creek site. Its full depth an “inclined shaft” 20 feet deep, exposed the east end of the vein. Inside the C Interpretive Signs is unknown, however, in r e shaft, notched timbers suggest a pulley or winch system may have hoisted rocks e Mill Site Before 1939 it reportedly was 20 k m Ruins to the surface. Over time, the steep sidewalls of both shafts rotted and filled feet deep at a 50–degree with water and in 2000, the shafts were filled in to prevent their collapse. angle. Narrow gauge rails extended out of the opening and cultural features connected to a tram line between the log platform and the i 1 Sprocket 7 Ball mill 7 2 Debris pile 8 Tractor Trench Shaft. By 2000, rot had weakened the sidewalls of the Cabin Three l shaft and deep water posed a drowning hazard. To eliminate Ruins 3 Winch 9 Fire ring Crew members of these hazards, water was first pumped out of the shaft so it l 4 Ore cart 10 Jaw crusher McKinley Lake Mines, Ltd., Inc. stand in front of the could be excavated by hand and an aluminum grate was placed Cabin Two 5 Tank 11 Stove over the opening to prevent persons from falling in. Ruins 6 Boiler 12 Spillway Mill Creek bunkhouse, 8 c A miner pushes an ore cart on the McKinley Lake Mines, circa 1940. Behind the 9 bunkhouse, at right, is the Limited, Inc.