But when you're looking at these places, the cultural impact is comparatively minimal. The actual mines were located 2,000 feet above the mill. A small tramway linked the two, but other than that the space in between was pretty much wilderness. The mines are not completely altering the landscape. The industrial archaeologist's view of preserving America's technological past is sometimes not a popular one.
Nature can seem overwhelmed by an industry that is tied to the landscape.
But White strongly believes that both environmental and industrial sites must be preserved for the sake of understanding our history. Industrial sites preserve a 'warts and all' manifestation of social attitudes to the environment. If we fail to preserve our industrial heritage, we risk losing knowledge vital to a holistic view of the past. At Kennecott and Bremner, if for nothing else, it's hard not to respect the perseverance and stamina required by Alaskan prospectors. The Park Service returned White to Bremner for two more weeks this summer to finish documentation of the Bremner area, examining the technology to see how it was set up and adapted for the Alaskan wilderness.