VALDEZ CREEK ROAD GRAVESITE Valdez Creek Road, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska ******************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.org Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Project Archives by Virginia Walters vewaltpp@alaska.net ********************************************************************* This information is transcribed from notes compiled by Virginia Walters recorded during a personal visit in the summer of 1999. This gravesite in located near the former Denali townsite in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Valdez Creek Road turns north off the Denali Highway at approximately mile 80. At mile 6 Valdez Creek Road there is an old cabin on the left of the road going north before crossing the creek. Look right to see the white fences of the gravesite across the creek and up the hill. The notes are taken from "An Historical Resource Study of the Valdez Creek Mining District, Alaska, 1977; Peter F. Dessauer and David W. Henry" On page 94 they describe the cemetery "Up the hill, halfway to the townsite, is the cemetery which has only three graves." 1. P. J. McDonald b. 1873 d. 1935 RIP Notes: During winter drifting operations a cave-in killed Pat McDonald (1873-1935)...Babel and the remaining McDonald brother, Bill, buried their partner in the Denali Cemetery above the post office. (page 52) 2. Joe Polken d. 1922 Notes: Killed in a hydraulic accident in 1922. (page 94) 3. Michael E. Coffield b. 1964 d. 1965 Our Little Lamb Notes: 93...and the third for a Coffield child (1964-65) (page 94)