Knik Historic Trails
RS2477 Casefiles and Map
Iditarod Trail
Run Date: 08/04/02 Case File Summary NLM1210N-01
Run Time: 10:45:17 Page: 1
File: RST 118
See Land Data?: N
Customer ID: 000028444 KNIK-SUSITNA TRAIL
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NRO * *
Case Type: 123 REVISED STATUTE 2477 Cust.Unit: LAND MANAGEMENT
File Location: NRO FILES
Case Status: 94 COMPLETE Status Date: 02/10/1994
Total Acres: 342.970 Date Initiated: 06/23/1993
Office of Primary Responsibility: LNO LAND-NORTHERN REGION
Last Transaction Date: 02/10/1994 Case Subtype: 1232 ADMIN REVIEW
Last Transaction: COM COMPLETED
------------------------- * * Legal Description * * -------------------------
Casefile Summary
RST 118
Knik-Susitna Trail
I. Trail Location
The Knik-Susitna section of the Iditarod Trail begins in the town
of Knik, on the north side of Knik Arm north of Anchorage. The
trail heads northwest, joining ADL 200644, a 200 foot right-
of-way which runs through T16N, R3W, SM. This easement becomes
ADL 222930, a 400 foot right-of-way which heads west to the
trail's terminus at the Susitna River within T17N, R7E, SM.
Total trail length is approximately 30 miles. The trail is shown
on USGS 1:63,360 Anchorage B-8 and Tyonek C-2.
II. Historic Documentation
The Knik-Susitna trail is part of the historic Iditarod trail,
used to transport mail and freight to villages between Anchorage
and Nome. The route is included in Alaska Road Commission (ARC)
documentation as route 20A. The Knik-Susitna trail is included
in the 1973 Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
(DOT&PF) Trails Inventory on map 69 (Anchorage quadrangle) as
trail #62, and on map 70 (Tyonek quadrangle) as trail #7 and #12.
Alaska Road Commission Reports
1. 1912: reported $2691.51 spent on the route; ARC report
states: "This trail was completed on November 2, 1912. It
conforms to the adopted standard for winter trails and provides a
direct route from Knik to Susitna Station for winter travel. It
is passable in summer, but can not be considered a good summer
trail because of the swampy ground necessarily traversed.
Communication between the terminals is maintained in summer
chiefly by boats on Knik Arm, Cook Inlet, and the Susitna River.
The cost of the construction of this trail averaged $76.75 per
mile. It was located and constructed by Mr. R.S. Giddings,
foreman, who was in charge of all work on the divisions of route
20 during the past year;"
2. 1916: reported $256.00 spent on the route; ARC report
states: "The work done on this route covered 15 miles and
comprised the removal of windfalls and a small amount of grading.
The total expense for the section worked over averaged $13.35 per
mile;
3. 1917: reported $120.00 spent on the route; ARC reports
"two hundred and fifty dollars was expended on route 20A during
the year, chiefly in clearing windfalls and bridging small
streams which are difficult to cross during the spring and fall;"
4. 1918: reported $253.59 spent on the route;
5. 1954: reported a total of $8437.44 spent on the route.
USGS Bulletins
USGS Bulletin #410, "The Innoko Gold-Placer District,
Alaska," Maddren, 1910, lists the distance from Old Knik to
Seward as 128 miles, from New Knik to Seward as 148 miles, and
from Susitna Station to Seward as 180 miles.
Other
1. Iditarod Pioneer, 8/10/10, "Dr. Sleem Tells of Seward,"
tells of Dr. D.H. Sleem's journey from Seward to Iditarod City
after completing a reconnaissance of the country between Iditarod
and Cook Inlet. The article describes the gentle grades of Rainy
Pass offering a natural corridor into the interior of Alaska, and
the general route into Iditarod;
2. Iditarod Pioneer, 8/10/10, "Seward Trail for Winter
Route," describes the Nome to Seward trail, stating: "From the
mouth of the Yentna to Seward the trail will be traveled all
winter and many roadhouses are located at convenient distances.
The Susitna station is quite a new town where the A.C. Co. has a
large store and supplies can be had. Then the trail passes by
Knik, another town and postoffice where there are three
restaurants and two good stores...;"
3. Iditarod Nugget, 12/28/10, "Iditarod-Seward Trail,"
discusses Alaska Road Commission plans to begin building the
trail from Seward to Nome;
4. Chitina Leader, 4/15/11, "Seward Trail Proves a Frost,"
discusses Nome musher Bob Griffs' trip between Nome and Seward,
stating: "Coming this way, Mr. Griffs said they figured they
would be over the worst of their journey after covering the 180
miles from Seward to Susitna, after rounding Turnagain Arm..."
and goes on to describe difficulties encountered on the trail and
the need to extend railroad service to Knik;
5. The Record-Citizen, 3/13/15, "Overland to Seward," C.K.
Snow from Ruby, Alaska, states: "I arrived here Thursday, the
13th after a never to be forgotten trip of 18 days. It was one
continual outing from the time I left Ruby till I arrived in
Seward...after leaving Knik one encounters about 16 miles of bad
trail around Turnagain Arm, although they tell me the present
route is much better than over the Crow Pass, which trail was
used up to two years ago;"
6. Kusko Times, September 14, 1921, "Rainy Pass Mail
Trail, discusses the request for bids for the mail route over
Rainy Pass to the interior villages;
7. The Iditarod National Historic Trail, July 1982, Bureau
of Land Management in Cooperation with the State Department of
Natural Resources, contins a map showing the trail from Susitna
Station heading toward Knik, and states: "Susitna Station, near
the confluence of the Yetns (sic) and the Susitna River, was a
trading post and a native village during the 1890s and early
1900s. The discovery of gold on the Yetna (sic) River and
further interior caused the growth of thesettlement and by the
time of the Iditarod strike, Susitna contained two stroes, a
hotel/roadhouse, and an assortment of businesses. The Iditarod
Trail crossed the Susitna River at the station;"
8. "Mining in Alaska'a Past," Office of History and
Archaeloogy, Division of Parks, 1980, describes the birth of the
Iditarod Trail and states: "Mostly a winter trail, the section
from Seward to Knik served as a mail and supply route until the
extension of the Alaska Railroad to Nancy (north of Knik) by
1918...;"
9. "The Iditarod Trail (Seward-Nome Route) and Other
Alaskan Gold Rush Trails," Bureau of Outdoor Recreation,
Department of the Interior, 1977, states: "By 1900, crude winter
trails for pack horses and dog teams were developed between
Resurrection Bay and the Sunrise area and between Sunrise and
Knik and Susitna," and states: "In 1908, W.L. Goodwin of the
Alaska Road Commission surveyed a new trail from Seward to
Nome...From 1911 to 1925, hundreds of people walked and mushed
over the trail between Iditarod and Knik or Seward."
III. Surface estate owners as shown on Bureau of Land Management
and Alaska Division of Land records, are listed as follows:
1. State of Alaska;
2. Cook Inlet Native Corporation;
3. Knikatnu, Inc.;
4. 50-67-0601, Trade and Manufacturing Site; no
appropriation date; date of application: 2/27/61;
5. 50-66-0387, Homestead entry, date of entry: 4/26/60;
6. 50-65-0578, Homestead entry, date of entry: 2/27/59;
7. 50-65-0462, Homestead entry, date of entry: 4/26/60;
8. 50-65-0409, Homestead entry, date of entry: 3/21/60;
9. 1223576, Homestead entry: date of entry: 4/6/15;
10. 50-67-0197, Homestead entry, date of entry: 10/26/61;
11. 744169, Homestead entry, date of entry: 4/6/15;
12. 50-74-0142, Homestead entry, date of entry: 5/11/66;
13. 1220719, State School grant, date of application:
4/27/60;
14. 1226619, Homestead entry, date of entry: 11/10/47;
16. AA8781, ROW Power Transmission line, date of
application: 1/23/74.
Surface estate interests as shown on Bureau of Land Management
and Alaska Division of Land records, are listed as follows:
1. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
IV. Acceptance of Grant
The earliest reservation along the subject route was for
homestead entry 744169, with an entry date of 4/6/15. The grant
of the RS 2477 right-of-way for the Knik-Susitna trail was
accepted by construction and use, subject to valid, existing
rights, when the land was not reserved for public purposes.
** End of Case Summary **
Herning Trail
Run Date: 08/04/02 Case File Summary NLM1210N-01
Run Time: 10:51:24 Page: 1
File: RST 1467
See Land Data?: N
Customer ID: 000031222 HERNING TRAIL
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NRO
Case Type: 123 REVISED STATUTE 2477 Cust.Unit: LAND MANAGEMENT
File Location: NRO FILES
Case Status: 94 COMPLETE Status Date: 12/29/1994
Total Acres: 134.450 Date Initiated: 03/07/1994
Office of Primary Responsibility: LNO LAND-NORTHERN REGION
Last Transaction Date: 11/04/1998 Case Subtype: 1232 ADMIN REVIEW
Last Transaction: CHNGTEXT CHANGE LEGAL TEXT
------------------------- * * Legal Description * * -------------------------
Casefile Summary
RST 1467
Herning Trail
Trail Location
The Herning Trail is located in southcentral Alaska,
approximately 30 miles northeast of Anchorage. From the historic
townsite of Knik on Knik-Goose Bay Road, the route heads
northward around the west side of Knik Lake, crossing Threemile
Lake approximately 2 1/2 miles north. The route continues
northward alongside a portion of Fish Creek and crosses Big Lake
Road at the point where it crosses Lucille Creek. The trail
CONTINUES NORTHWARD, CROSSING LITTLE MEADOW CREEK AND THE PARKS
Highway approximately 3/4 mile north of the Big Lake Cutoff, and
ENDS JUST NORTH AT THE POINT WHERE IT MEETS THE ALASKA
Railroad. The location of the trail, based on historical
evidence, has been mapped by DNR, Division of Land personnel, on
USGS 1:63,360 ANCHORAGE B-8 AND C-8 QUADRANGLE MAPS. THE ROUTE IS
APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES LONG.
Historic Documentation
The Herning Trail was historically used as a freighting and
transportation corridor to mining claims along Willow Creek in
the early 1900's. The trail continues as RST 95, Houston-Willow
Creek, to the Willow Creek Mining District. The route is
included in the 1973 Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities (DOT&PF) Trails Inventory on map #69 (Anchorage
1:250,000 quadrangle) as the southern portion of trail #64.
A synopsis of historic documentation (copies of sources in file)
regarding construction or use of the route follows:
USGS:
1911: Bulletin #480, Mineral Resources of Alaska: Report
on Progress of Investigations in 1910, Alfred H. Brooks and
others, shows the route and its extension on figure 18. The
bulletin states: "The winter road for sledding to upper Willow
Creek heads north from Knik, skirts the west end of Bald Mountain
Ridge, and proceeds up Willow Creek...In winter freight may be
sledded to the camps by either the new wagon road or the Willow
Creek winter road at about half the cost of summer haulage";
1912: Bulletin #500, Plate III, "Geologic Reconnaissance
Map of the Matanuska Valley, Alaska," shows the trail;
1913: Bulletin #592, Mineral Resources of Alaska, A.H.
Brooks and others, contains the article "Gold Lodes and Placers
of the Willow Creek District," Stephen R.Capps, which states:
"The winter road for sledding to the Willow Creek basin leads
northward from Knik, skirts the west end of Bald Mountain Ridge,
and proceeds up Willow Creek";
1915: Bulletin #607, The Willow Creek District, Alaska,
Stephen R. Capps, mentions the route from Knik to the Willow
Creek Basin, skirting the west end of Bald Mountain Ridge;
1951: The route is shown on 1951, minor corrections
1956, USGS 1:250,000 Anchorage quadrangle, as well as on 1952
USGS 1:63,360 Anchorage B-8.
Other Maps:
1908: Narrative from O.G. Herning map, the Upper Inlet
Region, copyrighted 1906, contains narrative accompanying the map
with a section titled "Trails shown on 1906 map," which lists the
Knik to Willow Creek via 3-mile Lake and Big Lake trail.
Other:
1955: Matanuska Valley Memoir, Johnson, Hugh and Keith
Stanton, University of Alaska Agricultural Experiment Station,
Palmer, states: "A sled trail was built in 1900 by the Klondike
and Boston Company for hauling supplies from Knik to its
operations on Grubstake Gulch. This trail crossed Three Mile
Lake, passed near Big Lake, crossed two more lakes near the
little Susitna, skirted the west end of Bald Mountain Ridge, then
bore almost due east until it reached Willow Creek";
1965: Alaska Sportsman magazine, June, 1965, contains
the article titled "The Willow Creek Mining District," A.W.
Reeder, which mentions the trail, stating "At the time Bob
Hatcher, the Bartholf brothers and the Carle interests were
getting started on their development work, there were two
principal routes from Knik, the only town in the area, to the
mining district, and these had been developed mainly because of
the placer operations around Grubstake Gulch in the western part
of the district. One of these, used only in winter, went north
from Knik, crossed the present line of the Alaskan Railroad at
Houston, then went around the western end of Bald Mountain and up
Willow Creek to approximately the mouth of Grubstake Gulch. The
route, which wasn't much more than a trail and about thirty miles
long, was undoubtedly used for the transportation of equipment
and supplies for the hydraulic operations carried on by the
Klondike Boston Mining Co. and later by Orville Herning on his
own in the Grubstake Gulch area. Horse-drawn sleds and pack
horses were used after the freeze-up";
1967: "Old Times on Upper Cook's Inlet," Louise Potter,
states: "By 1912, other much- used trails had developed northward
from Seward, which had become an ocean port, and out from Knik to
the east and west and the various mines. These were, mainly: . .
.The Klondike and Boston Company winter trail from Knik Lake via
3-mile Lake and over the ice on Big Lake to Meadow Lakes and
Grubstake Gulch";
1982: "Independence Mine and the Willow Creek Mining
District," Kathryn K. Cohen, DNR Division of Parks, Office of
History and Archaeology, contains a 1911 geological sketch map of
the Willow Creek region and an 1898 map by O.G. Herning. The
book states: "In 1900, the company bought other claims on the
gulch, and Herning built a trail that became the winter route
into the district (Capps 1914:251). The trail began at Knik,
passed Big Lake, crossed two other lakes near the Little Susitna
River, skirted the west end of Bald Mountain Ridge and extended
east until it reached Willow Creek and Grubstake Gulch. Miners
traveled this 30- mile route in the winter with sleds and pack
horses." The author also states that in 1906, the first lode
claim was staked in the district, and "trails radiated from
Knik."
1985: "Historic Uses of Trails in the Hatcher Pass
Region, Southcentral Alaska," Dale Sterling for DNR, states:
"Herning's informative diaries (in the archives of the Anchorage
Museum of History and Art) reveal that in 1902 he and others
swamped out a pioneer trail from Knik to the Willow Creek mining
district, preceding by seven years the Carle road. Hugh Johnson
later reported that the trail 'crossed two more lakes near the
Little Susitna, skirted the west end of Bald Mountain, then bore
almost due east until it reached Willow Creek' (Johnson 1955)."
An enclosed excerpt from O.J. Herning's diary details the process
of locating and constructing the trail. Sterling states that the
later-constructed Carle Road was described by Johnson as leaving
Herning pioneer sled trail at Three Mile Lake.
Land Status
Division of Land personnel researched state status plats, Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) master title plats, and BLM historical
indexes to identify servient estates and historic federal
withdrawals.
Servient estates and withdrawals as shown on Bureau of Land
Management and Alaska Division of Land records are listed as
follows:
1. State of Alaska;
2. Mental Health Trust Authority;
3. Bureau of Land Management;
4. Community of Knik;
5. Knikatnu, Inc. village selections;
6. University of Alaska;
7. Matanuska-Susitna Borough;
8. 1126619, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 11/10/47;
9. 1098903, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 11/25/32;
10. 1149590, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 9/14/50;
11 1130003, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 5/16/49;
12 1130839, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 7/1/48;
13. 828487, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 4/6/15;
14. 50-69-0173, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 12/20/62;
15. 50-66-0460, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 12/13/60;
16. AA8781, ROW Power Transmission Line; date of
application: 1/23/74;
17. 50-66-0277, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 12/3/59;
18. 1125792, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 12/11/47;
19. 1223589, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 3/31/59;
20. 60-64-0006, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 4/18/61;
21. 1227983, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 4/22/58;
22. 1207269, Homestead entry; date of entry: 11/05/55;
23. 1234746, Homestead entry; date of entry: 5/12/58;
24. 1220888, Homestead entry; date of entry: 5/12/58;
25. 1132230, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 12/15/49;
26. 1133180, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 11/30/49;
27. 1131976, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 10/28/49;
28. 1134986, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 6/28/50;
29. 1149595, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 2/18/53;
30. 1211272, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 8/07/57;
31. 1219830, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 4/30/58;
32. 50-68-0274, Homestead Entry; date of entry: 9/23/60;
33. 1222895, No records available;
34. 1217600, No records available;
31. AA55130, Alaska Railroad; date of application: 1/04/85;
32. QCD 52092, Division of Aviation; date of QCD:
33. QCD 727/ADL 214785, University Land Settlement; date of
court settlement: 3/11/82;
34. ADL 56178, MEA ROW; date of application: 2/9/71;
35. ADL 26197, Borough Selection; date of application:
2/16/65;
36. Territorial Reservation affecting T16N, R3W, SM and
T17N, R3W, SM, dated 3/4/15; repealed 7/7/58;
37. EO 2217, Alaska Timber Reserve #1, 6/22/15, affects
T16N, R3W, SM and T17N, R3W, SM. Revoked by EO 4865, dated
4/27/28.
Acceptance of Grant
The earliest reservation along the subject route was the
Territorial Reservation affecting T16N, R3W, SM and T17N, R3W,
SM, dated 3/4/15, and Homestead Entry 828487, with an entry date
of 4/6/15. Documentation in the file shows construction or use
of the route occurred by the early 1900's. The grant of the RS
2477 right-of-way for the trail was accepted by construction and
use, subject to valid, existing rights, when the land was not
reserved for public purposes.
** End of Case Summary **
Wet Gulch Trail
Run Date: 08/04/02 Case File Summary NLM1210N-01
Run Time: 10:52:29 Page: 1
File: RST 1710
See Land Data?: N
Customer ID: 000032550 WET GULCH TRAIL
*
NRO * *
Case Type: 123 REVISED STATUTE 2477 Cust.Unit: LAND MANAGEMENT
File Location: NRO FILES
Case Status: 94 COMPLETE Status Date: 01/24/1995
Total Acres: 105.090 Date Initiated: 11/09/1994
Office of Primary Responsibility: LNO LAND-NORTHERN REGION
Last Transaction Date: 01/27/1999 Case Subtype: 1232 ADMIN REVIEW
Last Transaction: CHNGTEXT CHANGE LEGAL TEXT
------------------------- * * Legal Description * * -------------------------
CASEFILE SUMMARY
RST 1710
WET GULCH TRAIL
THIS CASEFILE SUMMARY CONTAINS REVISIONS AND ADDITIONS TO THE CASEFILE
SUMMARY DATED 1/24/95.
TRAIL LOCATION
THE WET GULCH TRIAL IS LOCATED IN SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA, IN THE VICINITY
OF KNIK, APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES NORTH OF ANCHORAGE. THE TRAIL ORIGI-
NATES AT THE END OF THE LOCAL ROAD ON THE EASTERN OUTSKIRTS OF THE
COMMUNITY OF KNIK, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN SHORE OF KNIK ARM.
FROM THE END OF THE ROAD, THE TRAIL TRAVELS NORTHEASTWARD FOR APPROXI-
MATELY 7 MILES, PARALLELING THE NORTHERN SHORE OF KNIK ARM AND A LOCAL
ROAD. ABOUT ONE MILE NORTHEAST OF THE COUMMNITY OF COTTONWOOD, THE
TRAIL VEERS NORTHWARD, FOLLOWING COTTONWOOD CREEK FOR A FEW MILES, AND
CROSSING ANOTHER LOCAL ROAD AND THE
PALMER-WASILLA ROAD. THE TRAIL CONTINUES NORTHWARD
TO THE LITTLE SUSITNA RIVER, RUNS NORTHWARD OVER BALD MOUNTAIN RIDGE,
AND FOLLOWS WET GULCH TO MILE 28 OF HATCHER PASS ROAD. THE LOCATION
OF THE TRAIL, BASED ON HISTORICAL EVIDENCE, HAS BEEN MAPPED BY DNR,
DIVISION OF LAND PERSONNEL, ON USGS 1:63,360 ANCHORAGE B-7, B-8, C-7
AND D-7, AND IS APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES LONG.
HISTORIC DOCUMENTATION
THE WET GULCH TRAIL WAS HISTORICALLY USED TO ACCESS THE WILLOW CREEK
MINING DISTRICT FROM THE TOWN OF KNIK.
A SYNOPSIS OF HISTORIC DOCUMENTATION (COPIES OF SOURCES IN FILE) RE-
GARDING CONSTRUCTION OR USE OF THE ROUTE FOLLOWS:
USGS
1907: USGS BULLETIN #327, GEOLOGIC RECONNAISSANCE IN THE MATANUSKA
AND TALKEETNA BASINS, ALASKA, SIDNEY PAIGE AND ALBERT KNOPF, CONTAINS
PLATE I, "RECONNAISSANCE MAP OF THE MATANUSKA AND TALKEETNA REGION,
ALASKA," WHICH SHOWS THE WET GULCH TRAIL;
1911: USGS BULLETIN #480, MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA, REPORT ON
PROGRESS OF INVESTIGATIONS IN 1910, ALFRED H. BROOKS, AND OTHERS, CON-
TAINS A MAP (NO PLATE NUMBER) SHOWING THE WET GULCH TRAIL, LABELED
"WILLOW CREEK TRAIL." THE REPORT STATES: "PLACER PROSPECTS WERE FOUND
IN THE WILLOW CREEK REGION IN 1898. UP TO 1906 EFFORTS SEEM TO HAVE
BEEN DIRECTED MAINLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLACERS OF GRUBSTAKE
GULCH AND WILLOW CREEK...."`
1914: USGS BULLETIN #592, MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA, REPORT ON
PROGRESS OF INVESTIGATIONS IN 1913, CONTAINS PLATE X, "GEOLOGIC SKETCH
MAP OF WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT," SHOWS THE WET GULCH TRAIL FROM WILLOW
CREEK SOUTHWARD TO THE RIDGELINE. THE REPORT STATES: "FROM KNIK TO
THE MINES OF THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT TWO SUMMER TRAILS WERE FORMERLY
IN GENERAL USE. ONE HEADED NORTH FROM COTTONWOOD, CROSSED THE BALD
MOUNTAIN RIDGE TO WET GULCH, AND THENCE FOLLOWEDM UP WILLOW CREEK TO
THE CAMPS. THE TRAIL IS STILLL USED OCCASIONALLY." THE REPORT DOCU-
MENTS THE SUMMER FREIGHT RATE AS 4 TO 5 CENTS PER POUND;
1915: USGS BULLETIN #607, THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT, ALASKA, STEPHEN
R. CAPPS, CONTAINS PLATE II, "TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT
ALASKA, "SURVEYED IN 1909-1913, WHICH SHOWS THE WET GULCH TRAIL. THE
REPORT STATES: "TWO ROUTES WERE FORMERLY IN GENERAL USE BETWEEN KNIK A
AND THE MINES IN THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT, BOTH OF WHICH FOLLOWED THE
THE SHORE OF KNIK ARM IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION AS FAR AS THE MOUTH
OF COTTONWOOD CREEK, 6 MILES FROM KNIK. FROM COTTONWOOD THE BALD
MOUNTAIN TRAIL EXTENDS NORTHWARD ACROSS THE LOWLANDS, CROSSES BALD
MOUNTAIN RIDGE INTO THE HEAD OF WET GULCH TO ITS MOUTH, AND THENCE `
GOES UP WILLOW CREEK. ONE BRACH EXTENDS UP CRAIGIE CREEK VALLEY, AND
ANOTHER CROSSES THE DIVIDE TO THE LITTLE SUSITNA BASIN, FOLLOWS
HATCHER CREEK DOWNSTREAM, AND ENDS AT THE MINES ON UPPER FISHHOOK
CREEK. THE PORTION OF THIS TRAIL WHICH LIES IN THE MOUNTAINS AFFORDS
GOOD FOOTING, BUT THE STRETCH BETWEEN COTTONWOOD AND BALD MOUNTAIN
RIDGE IS SAID TO BE SOFT IN SUMMER. THE LOWLAND PORTION IS NOW A
LITTLE USED." THE REPORT DOCUMENTS THE FREIGHT RATE BY WAGON FROM
KNIK TO UPPER FISHHOOK CREEK AT 4 OR 5 CENTS A POUND;
USGS WATER SUPPLY PAPER 372, MAP PLATE XIX, "MAP OF WILLOW CREEK
DISTRICT SHOWING LOCATION OF GAGING STATIONS AND MEASURING POINTS,"
SHOWS A PORTION OF THE TRAIL.
OTHER
1910: MAP OF THE WILLOW CREEK MINING DISTRICT AND SLEEM'S MAP OF
CENTRAL ALASKA, D.H. SLEEM, M.D., RARE MAP COLLECTION, UAF ARCHIVES.
BOTH MAPS SHOW THE ROUTE;
1914: ALASKA ENGINEERING COMMISSION "MAP OF PROPOSED RAILWAY ROUTE,
SUSITNA VALLEY," SHOWS THE WET GULCH TRAIL FROM LAKE LUCILLE NORTH-
WARD TOTHE RIDGELINE;
1915: PLAT OF T18N, R1E OF THE SEWARD MERIDIAN, U.S. SURVEYOR
GENERAL'S OFFICE, SHOW THE PORTION OF THE ROUTE FROM THE LITTLE
SUSITNA RIVER NORTHWARD TO THE RIDGE;
1940: THE ALASKA RAILROAD, MATANUSKA COAL FIELD TO YANERT FORK,
ALASKA MAP 26, SHOWS THE WET GULCH TRAIL.
OTHER
1965: ALASKA SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE, CONTAINS "THE WILLOW CREEK MINING
DISTRICT," A.W. REEDER, WHICH DISCUSSED THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN 1907
BY WILLIAM AND BYRON BARTHOLF ON BULLION MOUNTAIN, OVERLOOKING CRAIGIE
CREEK, A TRIBUTARY TO WILLOW CREEK. THE ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE "TWO
PRINCIPAL ROUTES FROM KNIK," THE THIRTY MILE WILLOW CREEK TRAIL ROUTE,
WHICH CROSSED BELOW BALD MOUNTAIN RIDGE AND FOLLOWED WILLOW CREEK TO
MINING AREAS NEAR ITS HEAD, AND ONE FOLLOWING WET GULCH. "THE OTHER
ROUTE, A SUMMER TRAIL, WENT NORTHEAST FROM KNNIK, UP COTTONWOOD CREEK
AND ACROSS BALD MOUNTAIN AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3,400 FEET, THEN DOWN WET
GULCH, WHICH IS THE NEXT GULCH DOWNSTREAM FROM GRUBSTAKE GULCH, TO
WILLOW CREEK. THE TRAIL WAS ABOUT TWENTY-SIX MILES LONG AND WAS
PROBABLY USED BY MOST OF THE PROSPECTORS AND MINERS GOING INTO OR OUT
OF THE DISTRICT IN SUMMER;"
1987: MATANUSKA-SUSITNA BOROUGH COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN TRAILS
INVENTORY SHOWS THE WET GULCH TRAIL ON A MAP AND DESCRIBES THE HISTORY
OF THE AREA, STATING, "THE ORIGINAL DISCOVEYR OF GOLD WITHIN THE
WILLOW CREEK MINING DISTRICT IS CREDITED TO M.J. MORRIS AND L. HERNDON
WHO, IN 1897, DISCOVERED PLACER GOLD ON WILLOW CREEK NEAR THE MOUTH OF
GRUBSTAKE GULCH. THE INITIAL ACCESS WAS FROM THE WILLOW CREEK DIE OVE
OVER WHAT IS NO KNOWN AS THE WILLOW CREEK SLED TRAIL OR HERNING TRAIL
(HERNING WAS AN EARLY MERCHANT AT KNIK WHO LATER MOVED HIS STORE TO
THE PRESENT TEELAND'S STORE IN WASILLA). SOON THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL
ROUTE UP AND OVER BALD MOUNTAIN DOWN WET GULCH."
LAND STATUS
DIVISION OF LAND PERSONNEL RESEARCHED STATE STATUS PLATS, BUREAU OF
LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM) MSATER TITLE PLATS AND BLM HISTORICAL INDEXES T0
IDENTIFY SERVIENT ESTATES AND HISTORIC FEDERAL WITHDRAWALS.
SERVIENT ESTATES AND WITHDRAWALS AS SHOWN ON BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
AND ALASKA DIVISION OF LAND RECORS ARE LISTED AS FOLLOWS:
1. 1196683, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 9/21/54;
2. 1219650, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 8/4/55;
3. 1212359, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 4/25/57;
4. 50-69-0150, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 12/29/58;
5. 50-66-0280, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 11/7/60;
6. 50-65-0613, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 2/18/63;
7. 50-69-0151, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 7/26/66;
8. 1223573, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 5/11/56;
9. 1154458, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 5/4/54;
10. 1131344, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 3/8/49;
11. 1127332, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 10/16/47;
12. 1126177, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 4/1/48;
13. 1226177, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 11/18/57;
14. 1226688, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 10/29/47;
15. 1113920, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 5/22/33;
16. 1130845, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 11/10/48;
17. 1135239, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 5/3/49;
18. 1126736, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 10/17/47;
19. 1128211, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 10/21/47;
20. 1132140, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 10/1/48;
21. 1127806, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 12/29/47;
22. 1130487, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 12/29/47;
23. 1110215, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 2/8/34;
24. 603606, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 9/16/15;
25. 1217594, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 10/7/57;
26. 820785, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 9/16/15;
27. 1228997, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 10/19/52;
28. 1226422, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 9/13/56;
29. 1221743, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 12/5/58;
30. 1222332, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 3/28/57;
31. 1235020, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 4/9/59;
32. 1132242, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 8/2/48;
33. 869035, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 4/15/15;
34. 1234955, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 12/21/56;
35. 50-71-0003, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 2/27/59;
36. 1098903, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 11/25/32;
37. 50-75-0172, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 5/2/63;
38. MS 5549/50-73-0090, PATENTED MINING CLAIM, LOCATION DATE: 5/11/61;
39. 50-70-0010, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY:
40. A058730 AND A058957, CEMETERY/HISTORICAL SITE: 9/9/85;
41. 1197896, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 7/28/54;
42. 1230593, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 7/28/54;
43. 1234335, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 4/19/57;
44. 1230641, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 6/22/59;
45. 50-71-0010, HOMESTEAD ENTRY, DATE OF ENTRY: 7/20/65;
46. AA8485, VILLAGE SELECTION, KNIKATNA, INC., DATE OF APPLICATION:
12/18/71;
47. AA8584-A, VILLAGE SELECTION, KNIKATNA, INC., DATE OF APPLICATION:
12/17/74;
48. AA8584-B2, VILLAGE SELECTION, KNIKATNA, INC., DATE OF APPLICATION:
12/18/75;
49. 50-68-0272, MENTAL HEALTH TRUST, STATE OF ALASKA, DATE OF APPLICA-
TION: 11/18/59;
51. 50-67-0487, 50-67-0491, 50-67-0602 AND 50-67-0604, MINERAL ESTATE,
STATE OF ALASKA, DATE OF APPLICATION: 2/18/63;
52. 1217597, PARKS PERMIT, LEASE/EASEMENT, STATE OF ALASKA, DATE OF
APPLICATION: 6/26/58;
53. 1220828, LAND GRANT, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, DATE OF APPLICATION:
8/28/58;
54. 1160492, HEADQUARTERS SITE, DATE OF APPLICAITON: 9/8/52;
55. 50-70-0005, MENTAL HEALTH GRANT, STATE OF ALASKA, DATE OF APPLICA-
TION: 2/10/66;
56. AA053498, UNPATENTED MINING CLAIM, LOCATION DATE: 8/29/80;
57. 11128323, ALASKA PUBLIC SALE, DATE OF APPLICATION: 5/23/49;
58. 1156245, SMALL TRACT SALE, DATE OF APPLICATION: 11/21/49;
59. 1076065, ALASKA PUBLIC SALE, DATE OF APPLICATION: 5/7/46;
60. 1124975, ALASKA PUBLIC SALE, DATE OF APPLICATION: 5/7/46;
61. 1227730, GENERAL GRANT, STATE OF ALASKA, DATE OF APPLICATION:
6/23/61;
62. 50-70-0001, GENERAL GRANT, STATE OF ALASKA, DATE OF APPLICATION:
3/29/68;
63. 50-84-0408, COOK INLET REGIONAL INC., DATE OF TRANSFER FROM U.S.
TO CIRI: 8/17/79;
64. AA57929, MISCELLANEOUS, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DATE OF
APPLICATION: 12/20/85;
65. USS 1726/50-79-0105, SUBSURFACE CONVEYANCE, CIRI, DATE OF APPLI-
CATION: 12/20/85;
66. USS 1726/50-79-0105, VILLAGE SELECTION, KNITATNA, INC., DATE OF
APPLICATION: 12/17/74;
67. MS 2383/AA12964, UNPATENTED FEDERAL MINING CLAIM, LOCATION DATE:
9/12/44-7/7/56;
68. ADL 22482, LEASE NO-2COMP, DATE OF APPLICATION: 6/9/89;
69. ADL 26489, MUNICIPAL ENTITLEMENT, DATE OF APPLICATION: 3/3/65;
70. EO 2217, WITHDRAWAL ALASKA TIMBER RESERVATION NO. 1, 6/22/15,
AFFECTING T18N, R1W, SM, PARTLEY REVOKED BY EO 4107, 11/26/24, COM-
PLETELY REVOKED BY PLO 4856, 4/27/35;
71. EO 6957, WITHDRAWAL AID OF LEGISLATION & CLASSIFICATION, 2/4/35,
AFFECTING T18N, R1S, SM, MODIFIED BY EO 6957, 5/20/35, TO PERMIT
SETTLEMENT, PLO 149 MODIFIES EO 6957, 7/17/43, AFFECTING SECTIONS 8
AND 17, T18N, R1W, SM. ALTOGETHER REVOKED BY PLO 2294, 3/9/61;
72. TERRITORIAL RESERVE, ACT OF CONGRESS, 3/4/15, REVOKED BY ACT OF
CONGRESS, 7/7/58;
73. A010132, COAL PROGRAM PERMIT, 8/19/43, AFFECTING SECTION 17, T18N,
R1W, SM, VACATED 1/5/73;
74. POWER PROJECT 297, 4/11/22, METES AND BOUNDS WITHIN T19N, R1W, SM,
VACATED 1/5/73;
75. PLO 5180, 3/16/72, WITHDRAWAL OF LANDS FOR CLASSIFICATION AND IN
THE PUBLIC INTERST;
76. PLO 5184, 3/16/72, WITHDRAWAL FOR CLASSIFICATION OR RECLASSIFICA-
TION SOME LANDS WITHDRAWN AS PER SECTION 11 OF ANCSA;
77. STATE MINING CLAIMS;
78. UNPATENTED FEDERAL MINING CLAIMS.
LAND STATUS
THE EARLIEST RESERVATION ALONG THE SUBJECT ROUTE WAS FOR TERRITORIAL
RESERVE, ACT OF CONGRESS, 3/4/15, REVOKED BY ACT OF CONGRESS, 7/7/58.
DOCUMENTATION IN THE FILE SHOWS CONSTRUCTION OR USE OF THE ROUTE
OCCURRED BY 1907. THE GRANT OF THE RS 2477 RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR THE TRAIL
WAS ACCEPTED BY CONSTRUCITON ANDUSE, SUBJECT TO VALID, EXISTING RIGHTS
WHEN THE LAND WAS NOT RESERVED FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES.
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