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Back in 1970 when we first attempted to get our first jobs at the Alaska salmon cannery, it was a quick introduction to the underworld of an American labor union. The story started when we first learned about potential cannery … Continue reading Bribe Our Way into the Labor Union
Star of India was built by Gibson, McDonald, and Arnold in 1863 in Ransey, Isle of Man in England as was one of the first to use iron in the hull rather than the usual wood. This vessel was originally named Euterpe after the Greek muse of music and poetry. She made several voyages between Great Britain and India carrying cargo. Then in 1872 she was sold to Shaw Saville Line of London and was used to transport emigrants and cargo to New Zealand and Australia. Between 1872 and 1898, she eventually travelled the distance equal to circumnavigating the globe … Continue reading San Diego Maritime Museum- Star Of India
For the last 4-5 years, I have established a friendship with Fred Wong, the legendary foreman who had worked in Alaska canneries for more than 50 years, starting in 1953 when he was 18 years old. Except for two and half years service in the army, he continued his work in Alitak cannery from 1954 to 2008. I have never met him in person, but I love to chat with him about his experience and trade cannery stories. We have communicated by phone, through Zoom and emails over the years. I have also exchanged holiday greetings with him the past … Continue reading 1952 ILWU Yearbook
One of the dark secrets of the west coast salmon canning trade in the early 20th century was the notorious life aboard the Hell Ships, made infamously known by Max Stern’s detail expose in 1922. Gambling, bootlegging, profiteering, exploitation, disease, even death marked the voyage that Stern took aboard the wooden clipper Emily F. Whitney. It took one month to reach Bristle Bay, Alaska. However, the drama allowed Stern to fill pages of San Francisco Daily with his month-long adventures on the high sea. But just imagine how the story would turn out if the mode of transportation were different … Continue reading Windjammer vs. Steamer
With the first salmon canneries set to open in southeast Alaska in 1878, the transcontinental railroad labor contractor Sisson, Wallace, and Co. in San Francisco created a new company called the North Pacific Packing and Trading Company. They intended to transform some of the existing fish salteries in Alaska into salmon canneries. They prepared the schooner California with needed supplies and also Chinese laborers which they had plenty of from the completion of the railroad construction. This included 120 tons of equipment for a steam sawmill and cannery, 50 tons of tin, along with the first 18 Chinese laborers to … Continue reading The California Schooner Sails to Klawock, Alaska in 1878 with 18 Chinese Laborers
Two weeks ago, on Nov. 15th, I visited San Francisco downtown. It was my first visit to downtown area since the start of the pandemic, and it just happens to be during the week of Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). I decided to trace the route on Grant Ave as described in Max Stern’s 1922 articles The Price of Salmon, which my brother & I re-published as a book last year. Stern was an investigative newspaper reporter who was assigned to join a Chinese gang and sailed to Bristol Bay to work in Wood River salmon cannery — in an effort … Continue reading Grant Ave. SF, now and 100 years ago
We have just returned from a tour of Machupicchu and other cities and sights in Peru in South America. Machupicchu is certainly one magnificent human creation that is worth of our admiration. Along the way, we also learned from our tour guide many fascinating facts about the history and geography of Peru. One interesting fact was the popularity of Chinese restaurants. They are identified as “Chifa” not restaurants. Chifa means “eat rice” or “have meal,” in Chinese – a most direct invitation to woo customers. Our guide made mention of the historical import of Chinese laborers in the 19th century. … Continue reading Chinese Laborers or Coolies?
The Alaskan territory was purchased by the United States from Russia on October 18, 1867 for a mere $7.2 million. Many were starting to discover the abundant natural resources that were there. Before the very first salmon canneries opened in Southeast Alaska in 1878, there were already a few cod and salmon salteries in Klawock, located on the west coast of Prince of Whales Island. In 1869, one was operated by George Hamilton and was called Hamilton’s Fishery, where they caught and brined the fish in salt which were then packed into barrels and sold. They also produced cod oil … Continue reading Alaskan Salmon Canneries Open in 1878
This is an 1899 photo shows buildings of the Orca salmon cannery along the shore, mountain background, waters of Orca Inlet in foreground. The cannery was constructed by the Pacific Steam Whaling Company in 1889 in Cordova, and moved to its present location in 1895. I worked at Orca Cannery in 1971, and it was an unforgettable experience. Before Orca, I had worked in Waterfall (SE Alaska 1970), and Egegik (Bristol Bay 1971), but none of them prepared me for the one month at Orca in 1971. It was July 1971, towards the end of the season, I was working … Continue reading Orca Cannery, Cordova
We have given a webinar recently at the invitation of the Bristol Bay Historical Society. The subject of our talk was the book “The Price of Salmon,” by Max Stern. It is a collection of 37 articles penned by Stern and published by the San Francisco Daily in 1922. It was an expose of the west coast salmon canning industry, and according to San Francisco Daily News, “Gambling, bootlegging, profiteering, exploitation, disease, even death, marked the voyage that Stern took for the readers of the Daily…”and “…work in the Alaska salmon canneries under conditions as near to slavery as anything … Continue reading Stern’s Morality
Chinese Workers in Salmon Canneries 華工在鮭魚罐頭工廠 