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Petersburg, Alaska
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With a population of 3,146 people, Petersburg
is located midway or 120 miles between Juneau and Ketchikan, where the
Wrangell Narrows meet Frederick Sound. The average summer temperatures range from 40
to 56; winters average from 27 to 43. Annual precipitation averages 106.3
inches, including 97 inches of snow.
Petersburg for a long time has been nicknamed "little Norway". The
community maintains a mixture of Tlingit and Scandinavian history.
Petersburg celebrates its history with the annual Little Norway Festival
during May. It's mainly a fishing and timber community, and then it's a tourist mecca. You are more likely to find a bait shop over a t-shirt shop.
Salmon lured Tlingit fishermen to Petersburg’s Sandy Beach area and
record-breaking salmon, herring, crab, and mouth watering shrimp has kept
them there. In 1996, Petersburg pulled in a total fish haul
ranking of 13th in the nation. If you've come to fish, you've picked the
right area; just don't expect to sit by the fire sipping wine in the comfort
of the Ritz Carlton. Petersburg is a kick up your feet, crack open a beer,
and join the locals at the tavern type place.
Tlingit Indians from Kake utilized the north end of the Mitkof Island as a
summer fish camp. Some reportedly began living year-round at the site,
including John Lot. Petersburg was named after Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian
immigrant and a pioneer in the cannery business, who arrived in the late
1890s. He built the Icy Strait Packing Company cannery, a sawmill, and a
dock by 1900. His family's homesteads grew into this community, populated
largely by people of Scandinavian origin. In 1910, a City was formed, and by
1920, 600 people lived in Petersburg year-round. During this time, fresh
salmon and halibut were packed in glacier ice for shipment. Alaska's first
shrimp processor, Alaska Glacier Seafoods, was founded in 1916. A cold
storage plant was built in 1926. The cannery has operated continuously and
is now known as Petersburg Fisheries, a subsidiary of Icicle Seafoods, Inc.
Across the narrows is the town of Kupreanof, which was once busy with fur
farms, a boat repair yard, and a sawmill. Petersburg has developed into one
of Alaska's major fishing communities.
Since its beginning, Petersburg's economy has been based on commercial
fishing and timber harvests. Petersburg currently is one of the top-ranking
ports in the U.S. for the quality and value of fish landed. 469 residents
hold commercial fishing permits. Several processors operate cold storage,
canneries and custom packing services. The state runs the Crystal Lake
Hatchery which contributes to the local salmon resource. Local residents include
salmon, halibut, shrimp and crab in their diet. Petersburg is the supply and
service center for many area logging camps.
Petersburg is accessed by air and water. There is a State-owned Airport and
Seaplane Base (on the Wrangell Narrows) which allow for scheduled jet and float
plane services. Freight arrives by barge, ferry or cargo plane.
Independent sportsmen and tourists utilize the local charter boats and
lodges, but there is no deep water dock suitable for cruise ships although small
ships do visit on occasion. The large ships that do visit tender
passengers to the shore side.
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