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. 

History of Independence mines

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. 

Decline and condition of the mines

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.

What remains of Independence Mines?

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.