Museum Memories

As Alaskans remember the large gold strikes of 100 years ago, Cordovans experienced something of a gold rush in 1913 when a placer strike in the Shushanna district attracted interest. The shortest and most feasible trail to the Shushanna led through Cordova.

On Aug. 4, 1913, the steamer Mariposa sailed from Juneau, taking 120 men who planned to get off at Cordova and take the train to the Interior. One train heading to the Interior consisted of 21 cars carrying a large quantity of supplies to the merchants of Chitina, McCarthy and other points along the road whose stocks had been depleted in supplying the demands for the outfits.

In this photo a few players are trying their luck at some games of chance as they wait to move on to Shushanna.

This memory is brought to you courtesy of the collection from the Cordova Historical Society held in the Museum.

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