- Copper River and Northwestern Railway
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Copper River and Northwestern RailwayA disused CR&NW bridge along McCarthy Road
Nearest city: Chitina, Alaska Coordinates: 61°17′34″N 144°42′48″W / 61.29278°N 144.71333°WCoordinates: 61°17′34″N 144°42′48″W / 61.29278°N 144.71333°W Area: 0 acres (0 ha) Architect: Heney,Michael J. Governing body: Local NRHP Reference#: 73002275
[1]Added to NRHP: April 24, 1973 The Copper River and Northwestern Railway was a railroad built by the Kennecott Corporation between 1907 and 1911 to take copper ore from Kennicott, Alaska to Cordova, Alaska, a distance of 315 km (196 mi). The railroad was built by thousands of workers, who laid tracks around glaciers, across canyons and through deep snow and avalanche areas. 129 bridges were built for the railway at a cost of U.S $2.5 million. The most expensive bridge was the Million Dollar Bridge, which cost $1.4 million. The total cost of the railway was $20 million. Telephone lines were strung at the same time as the rail lines.
The last spike in the construction, a copper spike, was driven on Wednesday, March 29, 1911, by Chief Engineer E. C. Hawkins and Superintendent Samuel Murchison at Kennicott. The railway was completed in 1911 so that the company could obtain some of the land beside the railroad tracks. In order to obtain the land, the railway had to be completed within four years.
The cost of the railway was well spent, because the mines produced $200 million worth of copper ore during their operation.
The good ore in the mines ran out and the last train ran on September 11, 1938. In 1941, the Kennecott Corporation donated the bridges and the land they owned around the tracks to the United States government as a highway route. 48 miles of the Copper River Highway were completed, from Cordova to the Million Dollar Bridge, but the damage to the bridge in the Good Friday Earthquake (1964) blocked further construction. The bridge has recently (2005) been repaired. The roadbed from Chitina to McCarthy now forms the McCarthy Road.
The railroad's nickname was "Can't Run and Never Will".
Historic designations
On April 24 1973, the railway was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The railway's bunkhouse was also added to the register on December 5 2002.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
Railroads of Alaska Common carriers Alaska Railroad (ARR) • White Pass & Yukon Route (WPY)
Private carriers Alaska Hydro-Train (AHT) • Princess Tours (MSEX) • Eielson AFB Railroad (USAF)
Former carriers Alaska Anthracite Coal and Railway Company • Alaska Home Railroad • Alaska Anthracite Railroad • Alaska Pacific Railway and Terminal Company • Catalla and Carbon Mountain Railway • Copper River and Northwestern Railway • Council City and Solomon River Railroad • Golovin Bay Railroad • Klondike Mines Railway • Pacific and Arctic Railway and Navigation Company • Tanana Valley Railroad • Valdez, Copper River and Tanana Railroad • Valdez–Yukon Railroad • Wild Goose Railroad • Yakutat and Southern Railway
See also: List of United States railroads by political division Class I railroads of North America Current Former
(1956–present)AA · ACL · AC&Y · AGS · A&SAB · AT&N · AT&SF · AUT · A&WP · B&AR · B&LE · B&M · BN · B&O · CAR&NW · CB&Q · C&EI · CG · CGW · C&IM · CNJ · CNO&TP · C&NW · C&O · CPME · CR · CRI&P · CRR · C&S · CSPM&O · CV · C&W · C&WC · D&H · DL&W · DM&IR · D&RGW · DSS&A · DT&I · D&TSL · DW&P · EJ&E · EL · ERIE · FEC · FW&D · GA · GB&W · G&F · GM&O · GN · GS&F · GTW · IC · ICG · ITC · KO&G · L&A · L&HR · LI · L&M · L&N · L&NE · LS&I · LV · MEC · MGA · MI · MILW · MIS · MKT · MN&S · MON · MP · M&STL · NC&STL · NH · NKP · NO&NE · NP · NS · N&W · NWP · NYC · NYCN · NYO&W · NYS&W · PC · P&LE · P&N · PRR · PRSL · P&WV · RDG · RF&P · RUT · QA&P · S&A · SAL · SBD · SCL · SD&AE · SI · SIRT · SLSF · SLSFTX · SN · SOU · SP · SP&S · SSW · TC · TFM · TM · T&NO · T&P · TP&W · VGN · WA · WAB · WC · WM · WP(pre–1956) A · AB&A · AB&C · AC · A&D · AE · A&NM · A&STL · A&V · BA&P · BC&A · B&G · BRI · BR&P · B&S · BSL&W · C&A · CA&C · C&C · CC&CS · CCC&STL · CD&C · C&E · C&G · CH&D · C&I · CINN · CI&S · CI&W · CL&N · CM · CM&PS · CNE · CNNE · CNOR · C&OIN · CP&STL · CPVT · CRI&G · CR&NW · CRP · CS · CTH&SE · CV&M · CVRR · DGH&M · D&IR · D&M · DM&N · DNW&P · D&SL · EI&TH · EP&SW · E&TH · F&CC · FJ&G · FS&W · FW&RG · GC · GC&SF · GH&SA · GM&N · GR&I · G&SI · HE&WT · H&TC · HV · ICRY · IGN · ISRR · KCM&O · KCM&OTX · K&M · LA&SL · LA&T · LE&W · LH&STL · LR&N · LR&NTX · LS&MS · LW · MTR · M&A · MC · MD&V · M&I · MKTTX · MLR · ML&T · M&NA · M&O · MO&G · MSC · MSP&SSM · MV · NAL · NCRY · NJ&NY · NN · NOGN · NOM&C · NOT&M · NYP&N · OCAA · OE · OR&L · OSL · OWRN · PB&W · PCC&STL · PCO · PE · P&E · PERK · PM · P&NT · PRDG · P&S · P&SF · PS&N · QO&KC · SA&AP · SAU&G · SB&NY · SD&A · SFP&P · S&IE · SIND · SJ&GI · SKTX · SLB&M · SLIM&S · SOUMS · SSWTX · SUN · T&BV · T&FS · T&N · T&OC · TSTL&W · U&D · UTAH · VAND · VS&P · V&SW · WF&NW · WF&S · WJ&S · W&LE · WPT · WSN · WV · Y&MVTimeline 1910–1929 · 1930–1976 · 1977–presentU.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Lists by states Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • WyomingLists by territories Lists by associated states Other Category:National Register of Historic Places • Portal:National Register of Historic Places External Links
Categories:- Historic districts in Alaska
- Defunct Alaska railroads
- National Register of Historic Places in Alaska
- Railway-related listings on the National Register of Historic Places
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
- Valdez–Cordova Census Area, Alaska
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