Alaska’s 1st Railroader (Camp Fire Mike Chat) Michael Heney

Michael Heney is a legendary Alaska railroading figure, with a dramatic, under-told story that spans White Pass, the Copper River, and Kennecott. Heney wasn’t just a builder—he was a visionary. From carving the White Pass & Yukon Route through solid rock during the Klondike Gold Rush, to driving the Copper River railway across glacier-fed rivers and wild canyons, Big Mike, also called "The Moose", proved that with enough grit, dynamite, and determination, anything was possible. He built the impossible railroad to Canada, but why? By the time the big-money syndicates showed up, Heney had already staked the route and started laying track in Cordova. This Alaskan legend worked through blizzards, strikes, and danger at every bend—until a tragic twist ended his journey just before the final spike. In this episode of Camp Fire Mike's 'Camp Fire Chat', we’ll relive the legacy of a man whose railroads shaped Alaska and whose name still echoes in the peaks and ridges of Alaska. "Keep your camp site clean, coffee hot, and be loud like the Alaskan spirit." Thank you to all who have subscribed! References Yakutat & Southern Railroad Foundation – history & survey (yakutat-southern.org) Alaska Dept. of Labor, Trends (June 2009) – “Fish Trains” (live.laborstats.alaska.gov) Transportation History – Yakutat & Southern overview (transportationhistory.org) Abandoned Rails – Yakutat rail remnants (abandonedrails.com) Archives West – Libby, McNeill & Libby cannery records (archiveswest.orbiscascade.org) NPS – Yakutat & Coast Trails / Fish Train Trail (nps.gov/wrst) SeaTrails – Yakutat trail map (seatrails.org) Alaska Historical Society – cannery guide (alaskahistoricalsociety.org) NPS – Michael Heney biography (nps.gov/articles/michael_heney.htm)