Artifact Archive

Deep Sea Salmon Company was located in Port Althorp, a key area for salmon migration, on Chichagof Island. It was, in August Buschmann's words, "the last cannery I built for myself." Over the years various challenges and dramas would occur at the cannery that was built and first operated in 1918. The book "Tin Can Country" describes Governor Thomas Riggs ordering a gunboat visit to the cannery after striking workers and rumors of terrorist bombs caught his attention. In 1940, this largest plant in Southeast was devoured by fire, never to produce a can of salmon again. Photo from the August Buschmann collection. Information and photos for this column are provided by the Clausen Memorial Museum.