Salmon Canneries

Between 1900 and 1920 commercial salmon fishing in southeast Alaska underwent rapid expansion, fostered by improved markets and technology. Invention of an automated butchering machine in 1904 and the sanitary can in 1912 coincided with the introduction of gasoline-powered fishing vessels and floating fish traps. A world-wide marketing campaign and the onset of World War I pushed salmon production to new heights. By 1920 there were 82 canneries operating in southeast Alaska. As with the infamous '98 Klondike Gold Rush, many people came to Alaska expecting to make it rich harvesting salmon, some to be disappointed by the harsh life and competitive spirit.

A typical early cannery packed about 15,000 cases of salmon each season (one case contains 48 one-pound cans). During the early 1900s the canneries made their own cans. Workers cut the tin with shears, hand soldered the side seams, crimped the bottoms and soldered the tops with a machine. Most canneries had ornate can labels to distinguish their product from other canneries. In 1900 the price of a dozen, one-pound cans of salmon was $1.25 for sockeye salmon and $.75 for pink salmon.