Saved and Sealed Away from the World
From 1983 to 2005, AMAX Mining Company kept Kitsault in a state of preservation. Their hope was that the town might be revived if the opportunity ever arose and molybdenum became profitable again. Unfortunately, those “what ifs” never materialized. From their perspective, why demolish an asset that had cost $43 million to build? A lone caretaker remained in town, watching over it until that pivotal year in 2005.
When AMAX was done with Kitsault, the entire town was put up for public sale for the very first time. It quickly sold for $7 million—a fraction of its original construction cost—to a wealthy American entrepreneur who had (and still has) a vision for its future.
He enlisted the help of two dedicated individuals from the nearby community of Terrace, south of Kitsault. Their task? To clean and maintain the entire town—a monumental challenge for just two schoolteachers.
But when they arrived, they didn’t hesitate. They took their mission to heart, and it shows. The buildings have withstood the test of time, every inch of the town radiating their care and love. It’s easy to see why they guard its privacy and security so fiercely. I couldn’t help but admire their dedication—visiting this place without going through the proper channels would have felt deeply disrespectful.
Strange words coming from an urbexer, I know—but it’s the truth. I believe there’s room for both worlds: those who preserve and those who explore.
