Inger Jensen Ricci

Inger Ricci was interviewed by David Krupa on July 20, 1993 at her home in Anchorage, Alaska. Her husband Charles was also present. The Ricci's interests in backcountry hiking and Alaska history have converged in the hobby of using metal detectors to search for historical artifacts, and their enthusiasm for the "hunt" was contagious. A recent journey along the old Valdez Trail, used by the stampeders in 1898, produced a number of interesting artifacts discarded or lost by the early pioneers. The Ricci's generally donate the materials they find to local museums. In this interview, Inger fondly recalled her experiences as a child, and growing up as the daughter of the master carpenter at Kennecott during its heyday in the 1920s. Her memories help form a picture of an isolated, yet very happy, community that was a children's paradise. She talks about the fullness of her life there, a feeling shared by other "Kennecott Kids" who, in the summer of 1991, gathered again at McCarthy and Kennecott to reminisce about their life at this unique mining community. Inger talks about the love for the area that people felt, and of her grief when the mine closed in 1938, shortly after she and her husband had returned in hopes of raising a family there. She also talks about the joys of seeing her childhood friends at the reunion, which was remarkably well-attended given the fact that many had not been back to Alaska - let alone Kennecott - in over one half century.