Petersburg, Alaska

Petersburg, Alaska
—  Borough  —
A picture of a local shipwright.
Motto: "Little Norway. Big Adventure."
Location of Petersburg, Alaska.
Coordinates: 56°48′16″N 132°56′31″W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Government
• Mayor	Mark Jensen
Area
• Total	3,829 sq mi (9,917 km2)
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population (2013)
• Total	3,273
Time zone	Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9)
• Summer (DST)	AKDT (UTC-8)
ZIP code	99833
Area code	907
FIPS code	02-60310
GNIS feature ID	1424228
Website	Petersburg Borough, Alaska

Petersburg (Tlingit: "Steamboat Canyon") is a borough in Alaska, in the United States. The borough population is 3,273 as of the latest Census Bureau numbers, according to the borough website. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 2,824 full-time residents.

History

The north end of Mitkof Island was a summer fish camp utilized by Kake Tlingits from Kupreanof Island. Remnants of fish traps and some petroglyphs have been carbon-dated back some 2,000 years. Petersburg was named after Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian immigrant. He built a cannery, sawmill, docks and early structures. Petersburg flourished as a fishing port. (thanks in part to the plentiful number of icebergs from the nearby LeConte Glacier which would provide a source for cooling fish). His colony grew into Petersburg which, by 1910 was incorporated and populated largely by people of Scandinavian origin thus giving Petersburg the nickname "Little Norway". May 17 (Norwegian Constitution Day) is celebrated annually in Petersburg on the third weekend in May. The cannery, along with three others have operated continuously since their completion. With the establishment of the cannery, Alaskan Natives, including Chief John Lott, began living year-round at the site.

A major year in Petersburg history was 1965 and the founding of Icicle Seafoods. Petersburg fishermen Gordon Jensen and Magnus Martens teamed up with managers Tom Thompson and Bob Thorstenson, Sr. to spearhead a group of fishermen to purchase the Pacific American Fisheries (PAF) plant (the original Buschmann cannery) in a then-declining seafood industry. PAF was traded on the NYSE and had been one of the largest processors in Alaska for a half century. The shareholders, including Board members Fred File, Fred Haltiner, Jr., Robin Leekley, Jeff Pfundt, Aril Mathisen, Bud Samuelson and many others ( Hofstads, Otness, Petersons to name a few) set out for a journey to create, improve and institute fisheries that sustain Petersburg and many other coastal communities in Alaska today. The company was originally known as PFI but was officially changed to Icicle Seafoods in 1977.

Petersburg incorporated as a borough in January 2013, encompassing Petersburg and Kupreanof, plus mostly uninhabited areas stretching to the Canadian border and the southern boundary of the City and Borough of Juneau. While the City of Petersburg ceased to exist as a separate entity (the borough assembly created a service area to assume operation of the former city's services) , the tiny city of Kupreanof remains separate within the borough.

Geography

Petersburg is located on the north end of Mitkof Island, where the Wrangell Narrows meets Frederick Sound. Petersburg is halfway between Juneau, 190 km (120 mi) to the north, and Ketchikan, 180 km (110 mi) to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 46.0 square miles (119 km²), of which, 43.9 square miles (114 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (4.74%) is water.

Mitkof Island is largely covered by low mountains, while the lowlands are mainly made up of muskeg, a type of soil made up of plants in various states of decomposition. It is approximately 20 miles from its north end to its south. The western side of the island borders the Wrangell Narrows. The Wrangell Narrows is one of the six listed narrows in Southeast Alaska. The Narrows provides a somewhat protected waterway for boats, and opens on the south end of the island into Sumner Straits. Sumner Strait Mitkof Island has many creeks that empty into the Narrows, including Blind Slough, Falls Creek, Twin Creeks, and Spirit Creek.

The town is the 12th most lucrative fisheries port in the United States by volume according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. In 2004, 103 million pounds of fish and shellfish passed through Petersburg.

Climate

On January 16, 1981, Petersburg registered a daily maximum temperature of 62 °F (17 °C), the highest ever recorded in the month of January in Alaska. Eleven years later, on February 27, 1992, a high of 66 °F (19 °C) was observed, also setting a monthly state record high.

Climate data for Petersburg, Alaska
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °F (°C)	34.9 (1.6)	38.8 (3.8)	43.4 (6.3)	50.3 (10.2)	56.8 (13.8)	61.8 (16.6)	63.9 (17.7)	62.3 (16.8)	55.9 (13.3)	47.7 (8.7)	39.6 (4.2)	35.9 (2.2)	49.3 (9.6)
Average low °F (°C)	23.4 (−4.8)	26.5 (−3.1)	29.5 (−1.4)	33.8 (1)	39.0 (3.9)	44.8 (7.1)	48.0 (8.9)	47.2 (8.4)	43.0 (6.1)	37.5 (3.1)	30.7 (−0.7)	26.5 (−3.1)	35.8 (2.1)
Rainfall inches (mm)	10.64 (270.3)	8.23 (209)	8.26 (209.8)	6.90 (175.3)	6.30 (160)	4.86 (123.4)	5.22 (132.6)	6.61 (167.9)	11.34 (288)	17.56 (446)	12.83 (325.9)	11.20 (284.5)	109.95 (2,792.7)
Source: NOAA

A view of the Petersburg waterfront.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	585		—
1920	879		50.3%
1930	1,200		36.5%
1940	1,300		8.3%
1950	1,600		23.1%
1960	1,500		−6.3%
1970	2,000		33.3%
1980	2,800		40.0%
1990	3,200		14.3%
2000	3,224		0.8%
2010	2,948		−8.6%
source:

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,224 people, 1,240 households, and 849 families residing in the city. The population density was 73.5 people per square mile (28.4/km²). There were 1,367 housing units at an average density of 31.2 per square mile (12.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.64% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 7.20% Native American, 2.76% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 1.86% from other races, from two or more races. 2.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,240 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city the age distribution of the population shows 29.8% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,028, and the median income for a family was $54,934. Males had a median income of $42,135 versus $28,792 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,827. About 3.3% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Commercial fishing

For a brief time during a peak period of the commercial fishing industry Petersburg was rumored to have the highest per-capita income for a working town in the U.S.

Commercial fishing is the dominant economic driver of Petersburg's economy. The top producers harvest well over a million dollars of seafood each and every year. While there is a vibrant salmon troll and gillnet fleet as well as participants in the dungeness crab and dive fisheries, the main producers in Petersburg are the 58 foot limit 'seiners'. These 58 footers harvest salmon, halibut, black cod, king and tanner crab and herring. Many of them travel west to trawl, longline and pot cod in the western Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.

Currently making a comeback in the worldwide salmon markets, the 58 foot fleet now boasts crew jobs that can approach six figures. The sustainability of all commercially harvested resources has been a trademark of the fisheries participated in by Petersburg fishermen. Petersburg Vessel Owners Association, resurrected by Gordon Jensen in the 1980s, is the lead association that ensures that all seafood harvested by the Petersburg fleet is done so in a sustainable manner, consistent with the conservation principles embodied in the state of Alaska constitution.

Petersburg also maintains a large contingent of Bristol Bay fishermen. Over 75 Petersburg residents travel each summer to fish commercially on around 35 Bristol Bay vessels in Naknek, Dillingham and King Salmon.

Tourism

Small cruise-ships (up to 250 passengers) and private yachts visit from May through September.

Petersburg has a high quality visitor experience with very few crowds or tourist peaks experienced by the neighboring communities of Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. Partially this is by design and partially this is a result of the natural difficulty of landing large ships in Petersburg and traveling through the treacherous waters adjacent to Petersburg south of town (Wrangell Narrows)

Recently, in 2011, Seth Morrison and a host of famous skiers filmed their experiences helicopter skiing in the mountains near Petersburg. Sport fishing experiences have been a well kept secret in the Petersburg area as well.

Transportation

Since it is located on an island with no bridges, Petersburg can be accessed only by air or sea.

Marine transportation

Petersburg receives service from the Alaska Marine Highway. Petersburg is a stop on its Inside Passage route that sees scheduled service both southbound and northbound to other Southeast Alaskan communities, Bellingham, Washington and Prince Rupert, British Columbia Canada.

Air transportation

Jet carrier Alaska Airlines serves Petersburg with both cargo and passenger service from the Petersburg James A. Johnson Airport from Wrangell and Juneau daily, with service ultimately reaching Anchorage and Seattle. There are three charter air companies.

Media

KFSK is a community owned and operated public radio station. The town is also served by KRSA, a religious station, based in Petersburg.

The Petersburg Pilot is a weekly newspaper established in 1974.

Culture

• Petersburg celebrates Norwegian Constitution Day in a celebration called "Mayfest" locally on the third weekend in May. It is a huge celebration. There is generally 4 days of celebrations planned with the major events centering around the front end of the weekend. Little Norway celebrates the 17th of May with a longer and more enthusiastic celebration than any known Norwegian-American settlement or community. Recent Petersburg residents have traveled to Norway and have found that the Norwegian Constitution day (Norwegian: grunnlovsdag) has a longer celebration than even in Norway, where they celebrate only on the 17th of May.

• The Petersburg Marine Mammal Center is located here. a teaching center and to support research into new discoveries.

• Established in 1968, the Clausen Memorial Museum is dedicated to preserving the history and telling the story of those who have lived and worked in Petersburg and the surrounding area.

Education

• The Petersburg School District is composed of Rae C. Stedman Elementary School, Mitkof Middle School and Petersburg High School.

Notable people

• Ernest J. "Ernie" Haugen (1916–1994) was a fisherman and businessman, including owning and operating the Pastime Restaurant for decades. He was mayor of Petersburg from 1955 to 1959. Haugen then represented Petersburg and Wrangell in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1965 to 1983, when the district was eliminated due to redistricting and mostly combined with the Sitka-based district represented by Ben Grussendorf. State parklands south of town along the Mitkof Highway were named in his honor.
• Eldor R. Lee (1920–2002) was the only delegate from Petersburg to serve in Alaska's constitutional convention in 1955 and 1956.
• Bert Stedman comes from a longtime Petersburg family, and spent a large part of his childhood living in Petersburg. Scott McAdams also lived in Petersburg for a number of years during childhood before moving to Sitka.
• Robert M. Thorstenson, Sr (1931–2009) was the leader of the group who founded Icicle Seafoods in 1965. He was very active in fisheries politics, serving four Presidents on the International Pacific Fisheries Commission during the time the 200 mile limit was instituted. In his later years he was active as the premier fishery historian for Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

Bibliography

• Kathy Lee: A History of Petersburg Settlers, 1898-1959, Port Townsend, Washington: Sand Dollar Press 2004.

Loading boxes of salmon in Petersburg in 1915

External links

• City of Petersburg website
• Petersburg Public Library
• Petersburg City Schools
• Petersburg Visitor Information
• Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
• Petersburg Economic Development Council
• Petersburg, Alaska at the Open Directory Project
• Petersburg Rotary Club
• Little Norway. Big Adventure.