Chitina began in the early 1900's as supply town for the Kennicott Mine and Copper River Northwestern Railway. When copper prices began to decline, Chitina became a ghost town.
Chitina sprang up with a boom from 1908 to 1915. It once boasted that it had the finest accommodations north of Seattle...Breedman’s Hotel Chitina. It was a transportation “hub” connecting the Kennicott copper mine with Seattle smelters via train from Kennicott to Cordova; then barge to Seattle. It also connected to Fairbanks via road. The railroad arrived in 1910 and Chitina thrived until 1938 when the railroad pulled out. It quickly became a ghost town, and eventually even had ‘ghosts’ painted on several of the abandoned buildings. Work is currently underway to have Chitina declared a historical district. It is a treasure trove of old buildings, cars, and stories.
Chitina is at the confluence of the Copper and Chitina Rivers. It is a hot spot for Alaskan dip-net fishing for the world re-known Copper River Red Salmon. It is also the gateway to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park which contains five of the ten largest peaks on the North American Continent. The pavement ends at Chitina and the road into the park is gravel and a slow drive; so many choose to overnight in Chitina.
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