Vandals attack historic Independence Mine on eve of park opening

WASILLA — Independence Mine State Historical Park officials eager for the coming tour season were met with an unsettling surprise Wednesday, June 16.

Unknown vandals had desecrated the premises, leaving smashed windows, emptied fire extinguishers, and a barred doorway sealed with wooden board kicked in with black shoe marks left above the splintered hole.

“Independence Mine is a special place, and the more people come and experience it for themselves, the more they will appreciate its value, which we hope will reduce the risk of any future vandalism,” Alaska State Parks Mat-Su/Copper River Basin Region superintendent Stuart Leidner stated in a recent press release.

Several historic mine buildings were damaged, but the Manager’s House and the Bunkhouse that serves as the visitor center” made it through the ordeal unscathed, according to Alaska Department of Natural Resources Communications Director and Legislative Analyst, Dan Saddler. He said the Assay Office received minimal damage and it will be mostly usable once after the cleanup.

However, the Mess Hall, Commissary, apartment complex, and Bunkhouse No. 1 and other buildings were not so lucky.

“It is tremendously discouraging and disappointing to see such destructive behavior directed at a site that’s an important part of our heritage,” Leidner stated in the press release. “Wasilla was born as a stop on the Alaska Railroad that supplied the state’s second-largest gold mine. It’s really sad to see a local culture grounded in the rugged self-reliance of miners give way to a reputation for mindless vandalism.”

While no estimates for the total damage are out yet, Leidner pointed out that tight budgets will make repairs a challenge. According to the press release, the parks division responded to constrained state budgets by relying on private concessionaires to operate park units more efficiently in recent years.

The parks department contracted Salmon Berry Travel and Tours to operate the Independence Mine site and offer educational tours.

“When I came up yesterday to finish getting things ready and saw this, I was devastated,” Salmon Berry co-owner Mandy Garcia stated in the press release. “We haven’t started welcoming tourists, so this vandalism almost certainly had to be done by Alaskans. What kind of people find it fun to destroy a part of their own history?”

The park will open to visitors as scheduled on Friday in spite of the damage. Saddler said this recent vandalism hit them after already being down from losing countless local out of state volunteers due to the pandemic last year. He said the area is often enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

“These are facilities and lands that belong to the people of Alaska, all of the people. We do our best to make them presentable and available for the people’s enjoyment and education. That’s why it’s so disappointing when a couple people will take willful action and deprive everyone else of the value and the integrity of these historic assets,” Saddler said. “Regrettably, vandalism at state parks, state campgrounds, and state historic sites is not uncommon. It’s a shame that it’s something that’s a bit of a trend. People think they can damage these properties and it don’t hurt nobody. It does hurt somebody… I wish it were not so common.”

Saddler said that people recreating at state parks can help ongoing efforts to maintain the areas by visiting sites, paying for parking passes, encouraging others to be respectful of the land, disposing of discarded trash items when they see them, and reporting any suspicious or illegal activity to the park rangers or other state officials.

“These are resources and we need to take care of them,” Saddler said.

Park officials are working to allocate funds to help restore the buildings’ integrity and protect them against the elements and future vandal attacks.

Evidence left behind at the site is helping park law enforcement rangers’ investigation into the crime and may help identify those responsible for the damage. Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to contact the Alaska State Parks’ Mat-Su/Copper River Basin Regional office at 907-745-8935.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com