Icebound Empire

ICEBOUND EMPIRE is the story of three men who were prime movers in the most ambitious of the early twentieth century Alaska development initiatives, the J. P. Morgan – Guggenheim Alaska Syndicate, which built the famous Kennecott Copper Company and the Copper River & Northwestern Railway. This third edition has been redesigned with new content, photographs, maps, chronology and a first hand account of the early Alaska railway development.

George Cheever Hazelet (1861–1926) came north in 1898, fell in love with the land and stayed to mold modern Alaska. Hazelet’s vision for Alaska spurred him on to plan railroads and build cities where families like his could live better lives. Both Cordova and Valdez can claim Hazelet as a founder.

Stephen Birch (1872-1940) crossed Valdez Glacier in 1898 with the Abercrombie expedition. He made his fortune in copper rather than gold and built the highly productive Kennecott Copper mine. When political antagonists blocked plans for further industrial development, he used the profits from the Alaska mines to found a powerful international corporation.

Captain David Henry Jarvis (1862-1911) gained an understanding of Alaska’s potential while serving in the Untied States Revenue Marine. His bravery and executive ability earned him nationwide acclaim and the respect of President Theodore Roosevelt, but made him the target for vicious muckraking and drove him to commit suicide. His achievements of bravery were recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal in 1902.

J. H. Clark, publisher and editor.