Platinum Rose

Few people know about Andrew and Edward Olson’s industrious platinum mine in remote western Alaska. Begun in 1934, the mine was a critical supplier to U.S. Armed Forces during World War II and was one of few Alaska mines allowed to continue production during the war. Known as the Goodnews Bay Mining Company, the operation produced over a half million ounces of refined platinum until it closed in the mid-1970s. In 1957 21-year old Rose Jenne found herself on an airplane ready to drop into the remote mine located hundreds of miles from the nearest city and without roads. Five months pregnant with their daughter Robin, Rose was determined she and her husband Gene would only spend six months at the remote camp and then return to Washington State. Upon arrival she was surprised to find Edward Olson, a fatherly Swedish entrepreneur and inventor, had cultivated a uniquely modern and lively community at the camp. A small Yup’ik village called Platinum was located near the mine, subsisting on the Bering Sea Coast. The Yup’ik elders spoke little English, but the younger villagers were bilingual due to their proximity to the mine. Rose and Gene enjoyed their summer employment and returned to work year round. Isolated and without telephones, the camp and the Yup’ik village of Platinum forged a meaningful bond, relying on each other for help and companionship. Battling winter on the windy tundra as caretakers of the seasonal mine, Rose and Gene learned how to navigate perilous situations and survive dangerous conditions. Their daughter Robin grew up knowing the mining camp, the small Yup’ik village and the Alaskan wilderness as home. In this personal narrative Rose relives her family’s 17 years at the mine and the deep connection they developed with both the remarkable Yup’ik people and the rugged landscape of western Alaska.