Cooper
Landing is at the west end of Kenai Lake on a stretch of the Sterling
Highway, 30 miles northwest of Seward in the Chugach Mountains. It lies
at approximately 60° 29' N Latitude, 149° 50' W Longitude (Sec. 29,
T005N, R003W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Seward
Recording District. The area encompasses 55 sq. miles of land and 5 sq.
miles of water.
Between 1848 and 1851, Russian engineer P. Doroshin found gold in the
area. Cooper Landing was named for Joseph Cooper, a miner who discovered
gold here in 1884. Cooper Creek was first recorded in 1898 by the U.S.
Geological Survey. In 1900, the Census found 21 miners and 1 wife living
at Cooper Creek. The Riddiford Post Office began operations in 1924, and
the Riddiford School opened in 1928. In 1938, a road was constructed to
Seward. In 1948, a road to Kenai was opened, and by 1951, residents
could drive to Anchorage. The Cooper Landing Community Club was first
formed in 1949. The Cooper Lake Hydroelectric Facility was constructed
in 1959-60.