William Alan Puckett, originally from the state of Missouri, was one of the early copper belt stakers (Sept. 1898), He named his claim the Anaconda after a very rich copper mine in Montana. It was common in those days, and even held to be a good omen, to name claims in new regions after prosperous mines in other regions. In retrospect, the Anaconda never did turn out to be as rich and prosperous as its namesake. Despite $8000 worth of development work previous to 1904, including a 300-foot tunnel (adit) into barren rock, the mine would not see a financial return until its first shipment in 1915. By then the mine was under the ownership of W.A. Puckett, J.P. Whitney and E.A. Dixon, all of whom were Whitehorse businessmen. During WWI when the demand for copper was high, the Anaconda, in conjunction with the adjacent Rabbit’s Foot Mine, shipped about 500 tons of ore – the majority coming from the Anaconda. After transport and smelter charges, the returns to the owners was about $16,000. Subtract the cost of mining from this figure and it would be fair to say that the profits to the owners were minimal, if not negative.
Puckett was typical of early copper belt mine owners, in that he had other lines of work from which he made his real living. Roadhouses, hardware and automobiles were Puckett’s main moneymakers – along with the occasional and often successful prospecting trip thrown in for good measure. In 1902 Puckett met and married Anna, a widow from Kentucky who had three children: Deyo, Archie and Cam. By this time Puckett had constructed a large and commodious roadhouse at Takhini (Tahkeena) Crossing on the overland trail to Dawson where the family lived. By 1904 they owned a total of four roadhouses and were known as the “Roadhouse Magnates” The Pucketts’ were also known for their hospitable sleigh parties and dances held at the Tahkeena Roadhouse or the Anaconda Mess house, transportation always graciously provided.
In 1907 Puckett “discovered” and staked the nearby Takhini Hotspring as a mineral claim eventually developing it into a spa. Today it is a popular tourist attraction. About this time they sold the roadhouses and moved to Whitehorse to open up W.A. Puckett’s Hardware, specializing in general hardware, sporting goods, imperial oil products and in1918, Ford cars and trucks – the first auto dealership in town. This business they ran well into the 1930’s. Their house on 6th Avenue (still occupied) was known as the showpiece of Whitehorse for the elaborate and lush flower gardens Anna kept. The gulch located nearby leading up the clay bluff is still known locally as “Puckett’s Gulch”.
