Copper Valley Gold Miners May Have Had Scurvy, But They Loved Their Cocoa!

In 1898, Gold Miners Hauled Everything Over Klutina & Valdez Glaciers... Including High Quality Cocoa  

When you're entering the Copper Valley for the first time, and there are no roads whatsoever and it's 1898, what exactly do you need to bring with you to make life more bearable? How about a tin of powdered Ghirardelli premium chocolate? 

Both of these cans came all the way to the Copper Valley. (Photo, Country Journal)

There are some things that are so good that even in a remote place like the Copper River Valley, they add joy to your life.

Here are two chocolate labels. One was from the Copper Valley IGA – purchased several years ago. The other was lying on the ground, out in the woods, left over from the Gold Rush - most likely part of a 2,000 lb. miner's cache of goods, sledded over two glaciers, boated down the Klutina River, and dragged over the countryside. 

The chocolate company was started in 1852.