Iron Rails: The Story of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway 

In 2012, Kenny Lake's Documentary History class produced Iron Rails, their third major documentary, following Bonanza, and Stampede. The construction of the 197-mile Copper River and Northwestern Railway was on par with modern-day mega-projects like the construction of the Alaska Highway and the Alaska Pipeline. This film was indeed a community effort, featuring many of the Copper Basin's notables appearing as historical characters, and offering support in a variety of ways. By this time this film project rolled around, the Kenny Lake Film class received generous donations, and grant funding, which allowed the team to travel down the Copper River on a raft-filming expedition. Make sure you stay tuned after the credits to see our bloopers, and a short video on our rafting expedition. As always, history does not have to be boring, and once students become engaged in the telling of a human story, there's no stopping them. We hope you enjoy our handiwork. #crnw, #copperriver, #copperriverandnorthwesternrailway, #cordova, #kennecott, #copper, #alaskamining, #ironrails, #kennylakeschool, #alaskahistory, #alaskahistorydocumentary, #engaginghistory