[3] It is located beside the Kennicott Glacier, northeast of Valdez, inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

A few days later, Arthur Coe Spencer, U.S. Geological Survey geologist independently found chalcocite at the same location, but was too late to stake any valuable claims.

He had the financial backing of the Havemeyer Family, and another investor named James Ralph, from his days in New York.

He confirmed the Bonanza mine and surrounding by deposits were, at the time, the richest known concentration of copper in the world.

[6]: 35, 55–56, 59, 73 By 1905, Birch had successfully defended the legal challenges to his property and he began the search for capital to develop the area.

On June 28, 1906, he entered into "an amalgamation" with the Daniel Guggenheim and J.P. Morgan & Co., known as the Alaska Syndicate, eventually securing over $30 million.

[6]: 57, 71–73 Political battles over the mining and subsequent railroad were fought in the office of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt between conservationists and those having a financial interest in the copper.

[6]: 88 [7]: 42 The Alaska Syndicate traded its Wrangell Mountains Mines assets for shares in the Kennecott Copper Corporation, a "new public company" formed on April 29, 1915.

The Erie mine was perched on the northwest end of Bonanza Ridge overlooking Root Glacier about 3.7 mi (6.0 km) up a glacial trail from Kennecott.

From Kennecott the ore was hauled mostly in 140-pound sacks on steel flat cars to Cordova, 196 rail miles away, via the Copper River and Northwestern Railway (CRNW).

Around the same time, the company with land rights ordered the destruction of the town to rid them of liability for potential accidents.

They agreed with the 1938 conclusion, "no copper resource of a size and grade sufficient to interest KCC remained."

Copper ore was discovered in a lode on Chief Nikolai's house at the mouth of Dan Creek in July 1899.

Almost simultaneously, another USGS geologist named Arthur Spencer, came across the ore when mapping the area with Frank Schrader.

Malachite, azurite, and other forms of copper within the limestone needed separation in the 14-story mill building before shipment.

Ore arrived at the mill via aerial tramways, where the high-grade portion (approximately 60% copper) was crushed and placed in a chute to carry it directly to the bottom to be placed in burlap sacks.

Copper ore attached to the air bubbles, and floated to the top, where it was skimmed off, dried and sacked.

Residents involved in the tourism industry often lived in nearby McCarthy or on private land in the surrounding area.

Popular tourist activities while visiting Kennecott include glacier hiking, ice climbing, and touring the abandoned mill.