There are so many abandoned places in Alaska! This is a list of the top three abandoned places in Alaska. Browse through all abandoned places in Alaska
Independence Mines is a ghost town located in the Talkeetna mountains, Palmer, Alaska which is now under the Independence Mine State Historic Park. It was established in 1897 after the discovery of rich gold deposits. The town grew but it was later closed and deserted.
Independence mines just like the 1800s and 1900s towns began when rich gold deposits were discovered in the region by two prospectors. In 1897, Palmer Alaska was not well known by many for this reason, the deposits lay dormant for another three and half a decade before anybody thought of exploiting them. In 1934, most of Alaska had opened up with roads extending to rural places like Palmer. Seeing good grounds for business, Wasilla Mining Company was established by a local investor who began operations immediately. Over the years, smaller mining companies sprawled the region but none of them had the resources and the finances to carry out large-scale production like the first mine. In 1981, the owner of the mine sold his mine to Starkey Wilson after more than five decades of mining. Wilson continued with the exploitation of the few gold ores remaining until when the mine closed down in the late 1900s.
By 1982, most mines had been over-exploited, leaving handfuls of gold to extract. Though this was clear, the management of Coronado was not ready to accept the inevitable. They continued to exploit the remnants of the gold which took them into losses and debts. To enhance their productivity, the mining company came up with the idea of establishing a mill within the mines to help cut the cost of mining. Plans to establish this mine took a toll on the after proposal with the excuse being lack of finances. The company went ahead to lay off some miners to meet the required amount. The remaining miners lost momentum and some left leaving less than 10 in the camping site. The company was forced to close down the mine to wait for the mill to be constructed. The mill was never constructed to date. Independence mill was deserted and abandoned to this date.
Independence mine did not recover from the losses made during its operational days forcing it to be closed to this day. Nothing was taken from the mines by the owners after they closed down their source of livelihood. Today, the mine sits deserted and since it is in a rural setting, the mines and mining equipment are intact the way they were in the 1900s. The independence camping site is under the same management and does not allow trespassers to roam the property.
King Island is an island located in the southern village of Wales, Alaska, United States. The small island was the home of Asiuluk or as they liked to call themselves “the people of the sea”. They mainly used this island during the winter season. The island is under the Bering Sea Unit of the Alaska Maritime national wildlife refuge.
King Island was named by James Cook, the first European to be seen in the area in 1778. During winter seasons, Asiuluk or the people of the sea used the island as their home to escape from the ravaging cold. They carried out activities such as hunting seals, walruses, crabs, fishing and gathering birds’ eggs, and many more as their food. Men who were in charge of provision spent most of their time hunting and gathering food during summers. Some sold and traded their cravings for food and clothes while others strictly hunted. Women were in charge of keeping the house and stores in order and teaching the children how to work. Young men who were strong and able accompanied their fathers to hunting grounds. When winter approached, everyone knew their roles, and all the granaries were emptied and taken to the Island where they would call their home for the next six months. One would think that the constant movement made their lives difficult, but no, they enjoyed their seasonal migration like wildebeests enjoys theirs in East Africa.
During World War II, men were forced to fight in the world war where most of them died. This left only the women, elderly, and children cutting off the productive adults to the war. They were left to feed for themselves. Later in the years, there was an outbreak of tuberculosis on the island. The disease killed most of the residents on the island. In 1959, the only operating school was closed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs which came after a rock fell in the area. The remaining population together with their children relocated to mainland Alaska as it had better medical care, schools, and jobs which was not the case on the island. The island was left abandoned and has been a ghost town ever since.
King Island is a modern-day ghost town. Some of the residents in mainland Alaska still visit the island to gather food such as walrus and seals. A national science foundation funded a research project on the island in the early 21st century. Some of the Islanders were involved in the project bringing them back to the island. The project entailed the research on the progress of science to advance the national health, welfare and secure the national defense on the island. They also researched tsunami and hurricane disasters. The Island is explorable to any local who feels like visiting.
The Buckner building is an abandoned previous U.S. Military building in Whittier, Alaska. Situated at the western edge of Prince William Sound, the building was built by the United States Corps of Engineers in 1953. The Buckner Building was abandoned and is currently owned by the City of Whittier.
General Simon Buckner, who was in charge of Alaska's defense at the start of World War II, had a premonition of airstrikes that they were not prepared for. As a result, the general devised the plan to construct a facility that would be independent of the local power plant, airstrike proof, and have enough storage space for their military supply. Whittier proved to be the best fit after many difficult decisions because it had deep-water, ice-free ports, constant cloud cover that protected them from airstrikes, and all-weather roads that would come in handy when supplying military equipment. That is how a housing and recreational facility for the troops was approved and assigned to the United States Army Corps. It was finished by 1953 complete with a mess hall for eating, a movie theater, sleeping quarters, a small jail, and a small tunnel that linked the building to Whittier, Alaska. Buckner building was the only building left standing after an earthquake turned Alaska upside down.
The building was operational for 13 years until 1966 when the military ceased their operations and pulled out. The building was seen to be obsolete after the world war was over. There was no significance in its continued operation. Just like that, the building was abandoned and all the valuables including the windows and doors were taken out. After the desertion, the building changed hands severally with all the new owners seeing potential in the rejected building.
Peter Zamarillo, who was the first owner of the building after it was abandoned, bought the building to turn it into a state prison. He was unable to convince the state of Alaska, lacking approval to go on with the plan. Once again, the building was abandoned and left to vandals to continue depriving it of its beauty. In 1972, some locals from the city purchased the building with plans of reviving it into a complex business district but this too never came to fruition.
Today, the building still stands but in complete ruin. Graffiti covers most of the still-standing walls making it the largest eyesore of Whittier City. A survey conducted showed that the building deteriorated beyond repair. As it waits for demolition, the building has been fenced with no trespassing signs hung every inch of the fence. No one is allowed to explore the building.