What is the McCarthy General Store?
Today, this is the Wrangell Mountains Center for education, research, and stewardship!
What Makes It Historical?
As the company town of Kennecott rose up in 1907, plundering the copper deposits of the Wrangell Mountains, a group of businessmen from Valdez started planning a town to supply the miners in both the essentials and all those vices that were banned on the job site. That town was called McCarthy, and among its buildings were a Chinese restaurant, law office, blacksmith, pool hall, bordello, and much more, reaching a height of 1300 residents by 1916! This General Store entered the scene in 1914 and supplied McCarthyans all the way until 1938, making it the community’s longest-running business! It was designed in two stories, the bottom for business, the top for living, all covered in a classic false front. Despite years of neglect, its restoration in 1977 saved this last, best standing piece of architecture from McCarthy’s heyday, so modern visitors can get a real taste of this town in another era!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the Wrangell Mountains Center!
- Donate to the Wrangell Mountains Center!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
SE of Dan Creek Road and an unnamed road, south of
McCarthy, AK 99566
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Check out their Events Calendar for weekly yoga classes, speakers, and more!