The Matanuska Coal Fields Story
Coal drove Alaska's history.
In 1786, British trader Nathaniel Portlock first discovered coal in Alaska at a location named Coal Cove. That area is now Port Graham on the Kenai Peninsula.
The subject of the oil painting above is Captain Nathaniel Portlock.
In 1855, the first commercial coal mine in Alaska was opened by the Russian-American Company near Port Graham.
Around the 1900s
The U.S. Government, and as a result, some financiers, became interested in the Matanuska coal fields.
High-Quality Coal to Fuel U.S. Battleships
Because of the rich, high-quality coal deposits in the Matanuska fields, the Alaska Rail system was developed.
In 1914, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the U.S. Congress passed the Alaska Railroad Act, authorizing construction of the Alaska Railroad to pass through the Matanuska, Little Susitna, Broad Pass, and Nenana coal fields.
Coal was needed for U.S. battleships and for the Alaska Railroad.
In 1916, the first load of coal arrived in Anchorage
From its tent city days and up through the early years of Anchorage, coal was a major source for heating.
Yes, You Can Share this Edition
Your friends and family will love this history-packed edition of the Anchorage Memories Club.
And when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will name an Alaskan mountain after you… well, it could happen.
Enter Evan Jones
Pictured above are Bronwen and Evan Jones at their 1932 Anchorage home.
In 1917, Evan Jones arrived in Anchorage. He then became the superintendent of the Doherty coal mine on Moose Creek. Later, Jones was superintendent of the Eska and Chickaloon coal mines, owned by the Alaska Railroad.
In 1920, Jones teamed up with Anchorage pioneers Z.J. Loussac, Oscar Anderson, a hotel operator named Mr. Collins, a dentist named Mr. Blyth and Dr. Boyle.
The group leased 2,240 acres on the slope of Wishbone Hill off the banks of the Matanuska River, just north of Palmer, Alaska.
Jonesville, Alaska
To accommodate the workers and their families, the tiny community of Jonesville was established. The town included houses, a school, and a hospital.
At one time, the Evan Jones mine was the largest coal mine in Alaska. It was also a major supplier of coal for Anchorage and the Alaska Railroad.
The Evan Jones Coal Mine Fire
In November 1922, then Anchorage Fire Chief J.W. Greene and Thomas Bevers were sent to fight a fire that had broken out in the Evan Jones Coal Mine.
Greene and Bevers took Anchorage’s brand-new La France pumping truck to the fire.
On site, they began pumping water from a nearby lake. They sprayed as much as 1,200 gallons of water per minute into the coal mine.
The two ran the pumper for three hundred hours with only one break for maintenance. When it was over, Greene and Bevers had a world record for continuous pumping. The fire was extinguished, and the mine was reopened.
5.5 Million Metric Tons
The Evan Jones Coal Mine produced around 5.5 million metric tons of high-quality coal from 1920 into the 1960s.
The mine supplied coal to Anchorage, neighboring Fort Richardson Army Base and Elmendorf Air Force Base.
BONUS
Would you like to know more about Evan Jones and the Alaska Coal Mines?
Take a look at the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame and discover.
BONUS
Do you remember the 1966 musical hit by Lee Dorsey, “Workin in a Coal Mine”?
Click on the following link and enjoy the memory.
Did You Know?
Palmer was just 40 miles south of the Evan Jones coal mine.
But did you know that on July 6, 1917, when the Palmer Post Office was first opened, it wasn’t called Palmer, Alaska.
At that time, the small community was called “Warten”, Alaska.
From Our North Stars (thats you)
From the Old Alaska Highway Story
Charles remembers traveling the Alaska Highway:
“After living in the western Pacific on Saipan for five years, we returned stateside in 1966 with a stop in Denver to visit relatives. My dad bought a brand new Rambler Ambassador, and we headed for Fairbanks, Alaska.
The Alaska Canadian Highway (ALCAN) was mostly gravel back then with plenty of dust and mud. It tore our new car up pretty badly but we made it. It was an experience I'll never forget.
I've driven the highway by myself four times since then. Compared to our trip in 1966, the highway today is a piece of cake. I would recommend the drive to anyone who has some time to spare and is looking for an adventure.”
BONUS
Take a look at the Old Alaska Highway Story and discover.
Connect with Mike and Mary
Have you ever filled up a bucket from a coal bin?
Mike’s family spent time on a farm near Wasilla, Alaska, and it was young Mike’s job to fetch coal for a stove.
Did you enjoy this edition of Alaska Stories?
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You can also reply to this email. Or you can Contact Us right here to say, “I’ve been workin in a coal mine, goin on down, down.” Remember that song?
Until Next Time
Mike and Mary
Alaska Stories
Bronwyn and Evan are Welsh names, were they originally from there?
Randall J Montbriand. Many an evening in the 1970s (during the housing crunch) I set with friends around their heavy metal stoves heated by the coal they collected along the tracks which ran from the mines north of Palmer. Their shared living spaces (in quonset huts), serving, as best could, as their homes, work spaces, etc. Everyone scrambling to find a place to live and a place to keep warm. I miss those friends and their solid, heart-felt efforts to establish a life in Alaska not necessarily linked to the oil business. Several of those individuals remained in Alaska even after the crash of mid-80s, determined to make Alaska their home. These subjects put very much needed personal story lines to Alaska in the heavy shake-up of the oil industry