Cooper Landing - Community Guide
Cooper Landing is at the west end of Kenai Lake on a stretch of the Sterling Highway, 30 miles northwest of Seward in the Chugach Mountains. It lies at approximately 60° 29' N Latitude, 149° 50' W Longitude
(Sec. 29, T005N, R003W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Seward Recording District. The area encompasses 55 sq. miles of land and 5 sq. miles of water.
Between 1848 and 1851, Russian engineer P. Doroshin found gold in the area. Cooper Landing was named for Joseph Cooper, a miner who discovered gold here in 1884. Cooper Creek was first recorded in 1898 by
the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1900, the Census found 21 miners and 1 wife living at Cooper Creek. The Riddiford Post Office began operations in 1924, and the Riddiford School opened in 1928. In 1938, a road
was constructed to Seward. In 1948, a road to Kenai was opened, and by 1951, residents could drive to Anchorage. The Cooper Landing Community Club was first formed in 1949. The Cooper Lake Hydroelectric Facility
was constructed in 1959-60.
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History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development
