Few stories in the history
of commerce can compare: In the summer of 1900,
two prospectors exploring deep in the wilderness
see magnificent green cliffs perched high on
a mountainside. Climbing closer, they stumble
upon the richest copper vein ever found.
It doesn't take long for two of America's
wealthiest families, the Morgans and Guggenheims,
to sniff out the wealth potential. They buy
the rights and build 196 miles of private railroad
to get the copper out. When the mine opens
in 1911, they employ 600 miners and build a
wilderness city, complete with a hospital,
general store, schoolhouse, baseball field,
skating rink, tennis court, recreation hall,
and dairy.
The mine buzzes with activity for 37 years,
when the Depression hits and the price of copper
crashes. One November day in 1938, the last
trainload of miners chugs away for good, leaving
the Kennicott mine standing quietly in the
wilderness. Over the next half-century, more
and more visitors find their way to the ghost
town where buildings still stand, complete
with the miners' work papers and tools. But
it wasn't until 1998 that the National Park
Service purchased the property and made it
officially open for visitors. |
