Petersburg, a Fisherman's Town



Marina with Adjacent Cannery





“Petersburg is a town that still makes its living from the sea.”  Petersburg is home to several fish canneries:  Trident Seafood’s, Petersburg Fisheries, and Ocean Beauty Seafood’s.  Salmon, halibut, black cod, shrimp, crab, and herring are all part of Petersburg’s waterfront industry.  Petersburg began as a fishing community in the early 1900’s when Norwegian, Peter Buschmann, saw the value of all the ice around Le Conte Glacier.  Ice was used to preserve fish shipped by steamship to Seattle.  Construction for the first packing company called Icy Straits (now Petersburg Fisheries) was completed in 1900.  Docks, homes, warehouses, and other businesses sprang up attracting more Norwegian immigrants and also workers for the canneries including Chinese, Japanese, and Philippine workers.  At its peak, eight canneries operated in Petersburg.  Today, canneries in Petersburg means big business; local fishermen hold harvesting rights resulting in one of the most prosperous fishing fleets in Alaska.  We learned more about the early days of Petersburg's at the Clausen Memorial Museum and about early fishing techniques.  After visiting the museum, we walked along picturesque Hammer Slough, where houses from the early 1900's still stand.  As we walked back to our boat near the cannery docks, we stopped and purchased a salmon from a local fisherman for only $3.75 per pound, Leonard’s idea of a successful day of fishing.



Early Houses Along Hammer Slough



Boardwalk Along Hammer Slough



Leonard Buying Fish