452 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



April 4, but was rebuilt the same year, although not operated with 

 salmon until 1918. 



A number of salmon salteries were stai'ted in Prince William Sound 

 after 1915. Charles Matthews in 1916 operated a salmon saltery at 

 Seward; The Kenai Fishing & Trading Co. in 1916 acquired the J. 

 Bettles saltery on Eshamy Bay. In 1918 the company expanded into 

 a canning plant. A. C. Hoodenp3de operated a saltery at Port Wells 

 in 1918. 



In 1919 the following new canneries were started: Franklin Pack- 

 ing Co., Port Ashton; and Pioneer Packing Co., Cordova (this plant 

 had been operating on clams for a couple of seasons). The Eyak 

 River Packing Co. took over the Clark-Graham Co., while the Hillery- 

 Scott Co. succeeded the Lighthouse Canning Co. 



The World War led to a considerable expansion in the number of 

 canneries started in this section after 1919. The temporary collapse 

 in demand for canned salmon shortly after the close of the 1920 

 season had a disastrous efl'ect upon the weakly financed companies, 

 with the result that a number of them failed. As time went on the 

 industry readjusted itself, but, as is the case in southeast Alaska, the 

 region is overmanned with canneries, and the best thing that could 

 happen would be a material decrease in the number at present 

 operating and ready to operate. 



COOK INLET 



While this great inlet has an abundant supply of salmon, it is one 

 of the most difficult sections in all Alaska in which to fish successfully. 

 The tides and currents in the inlet are strong and treacherous, increas- 

 ing in height and force as its head is approached, where the tide 

 comes in with a bore which is extremely dangerous to small craft. 

 Shoals make out a long distance from shore and are continually 

 changing. 



The first cannery to be built on the inlet was in 1882, when the 

 Alaska Packing Co., of San Francisco, built one at Kasilof, on the right 

 bank of the Kasilof River at the mouth, utiUzing the available machin- 

 erj'^ from the cannery built by the Cutting Packing Co. at old Sitka 

 in 1878. In 1885 this cannery was sold to the Arctic Fishing Co. 

 In 1890 the loss of its cannery ship forced it to close that season. 

 In 1893 it joined the Alaska Packers Association. At the height of 

 the season of 1905 the plant was burned. It was rebuilt the next 

 spring and has been operated each year since with the exception of 

 1924-1926 and 1928. 



The cannery of the Northern Packing Co. was built in 1888 on the 

 eastern side of Cook Inlet, at Kenai, at the mouth of the Kenai 

 River. It was operated up to and including 1891. In 1893 it joined 

 the Alaska Packers Association, but has not been operated since 1891. 



In 1897 the Pacific Steam Whaling Co. built a cannery at Kenai, 

 but did not install the machinery and operate it until the next year. 

 In 1901 this cannery was taken over by the Pacific Packing & Navi- 

 gation Co. In 1903 the plant burned down. Upon the sale of its 

 assets in 1905 the site passed to the Northwestern Fisheries Co. In 

 1910 the company put up a new plant here and has operated it con- 

 tniuously since, except in 1921 and 1922. During the period when 

 the site was unused a mild-curing establishment was operated here by 



