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Welcome to
Port William, Alaska!
Shuyak Paradise
S
huyak Island, Jewel of
the Kodiak Archipelago
Copyright ©1986-00 Port William Facility
Location
Port William is located on the southern tip of Shuyak Island, facing Afognak, about 45 air miles north of Kodiak with the
Barren Islands* to the north. Latitude 58:29:30 N Longitude 152:35:00 W Elevation 25
Current Population: 9
Incorporation Type: Unincorporated
Borough: Kodiak Island Borough
Taxes: Sales Tax: None
Borough Taxes: Property 6.75 mills; Accomodations 5%; Severance 0.675%
Climate
Port William's marine climate is improved by its location on the protected waters of the Shuyak Strait.
There are cool summers and warm winters with little freezing. Fahrenheit temperatures
average from 25 to 60, but have dropped to 9 and risen to 80. Annual precipitation is estimated
at 55 inches, with 75 inches of snow.Culture and Demographics
100% of the population is caucasian. Sport-fishing sustains the community, and 0% of the population live
below the poverty level.
Facilities, Utilities, Schools and Health Care
Treated lake water provides the community with water; power is provided by hydro-electricity. Home-study
courses are available for students. Kodiak is the nearest health-care provider; US Coast
Guard and Alaska Troopers provide emergency transport and service.
Economy and Transportation
The economy is dependent on sport fishing and tourism. Port William is accessible by air -- KPR Port William Seaplane Base -- and sea; scheduled
flights are run and charters by sea or air are available from Kodiak or Homer. Port William serves as Mail Drop for the vicinity.
Port William is the only deep-water port
between Seldovia and Kodiak, and a popular stop-over for sea planes and marine vessels. Visitors are drawn from all over the world
to travel Shuyak's protected interior waterways** by kayak, to enjoy the spectacular wildlife, or for world-class sport-fishing
opportunities. Near neighbors are Big Bay Ranger Station,
Redfox Bay, and Bluefox Bay.
History
Before 1930, Port William, a herring saltery, was owned by S. Sklaroff and Sons. In 1930 it was purchased by Peter
Wold and began salmon operations as Port William Packing Company. It was managed by John Torwik
who had spent 29 years fishing in the Kodiak area, particularly around Shearwater Bay. After a poor season the plant sat idle until 1934
when Roy Jenson, president of Washington Fish and Oyster est. 1909, leased the cannery. His son, Tom, acted as
superintendent. After a successful 1935 season, Washington Fish & Oyster purchased Port William at a U.S. Marshall's sale.
In 1940 a cold-storage plant with capacity of 300,000 lbs. was installed and coho were frozen there. In 1941, herring and
halibut were frozen there as well. Salmon labels used by Washington Fish and Oyster included Ocean Beauty,
Silver Beauty, Bay Beauty, and Sound Beauty for red, coho, pink, and chum respectively.
Some of the Port William superintendents were Chris Nelson, 1945; Bill Hingston, 1956 and 1963; Don Gerber, 1964;
and Verne Swanson, 1966. After the 1976 season, with the advent of the new fish processing ships, the cannery was
sold to Wayne Treat, a Kodiak commercial fisherman. In 1986, it was sold to the owners of Y Knot Halibut Charter est.
1979. Port William operates
today as Y Knot Charter's Port William Lodge.
Port William and its surrounding area boast a rich pre-1930 history. Would anyone with information of any
period care to share it?
To Communicate:
Port William Facility P.O. Box 670556 Chugiak, AK 99567 Phone 907 688 2253
Email Call Sign: KPC88
*Barren Islands
15 miles across in Gulf of Alaska between Kenai Peninsula and Shuyak Island. 63 miles north
east of Afognak, Chugach Mountains.
Position:
67 degrees 48 minutes North, 152 degrees 15 minutes West.
Variations:
Barren Isles, Islas de Langara, Islas Esteriles, Bezpodnie Bareninseln, Peregrebni.
Named
on May 25, 1778 by Cook (1785 volume 2, page 385), who wrote "They obtained the name of
Barren Isles from their very naked appearance." The names Islas Esteriles, published by Don
D.A. Galiano (on 1802 map), and O[stro]va Bezplodnyya, published by Captain M.D.
Tchenkov, IRN (on 1852 map), are the Spanish and Russian translations of the English name.
--Alaska Place Names
**Shuyak's maze of protected waterways -- more than anywhere else in the Kodiak archipelago -- is prodigious
especially considering the small
size of the island, only 12 miles long and 11 miles wide.
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