Brothers Abe and Eli Porter are more than just the owners of the Snug Harbor Cannery on the west side of Cook Inlet: they have deep roots there. Their grandfather moved to the Kenai Peninsula from Oregon at 20, and worked as a commercial fisherman in Chinitna Bay.
“When the cannery started, he actually fished one of the boats for the cannery, Snug 12,” Abe said. “And my dad and he fished the boat together.”
This fall, the Snug Harbor Cannery has a new prestige: it’s an official entry in the National Register of Historic Places.
Snug Harbor began as a clammery around the turn of the century, then evolved into a fish trap cannery, before working directly with a fleet of boats and eventually individual fishermen. By the 80s, the cannery became obsolete as facilities on the east side of the inlet grew.
“Those canneries that were popping up all over the state have such a rich history because they were there before there was really many cities in the state,” Eli said. “And that’s what brought a lot of people up here. A lot of people from other countries came to work the canneries and send what little money they had home. So this cannery in particular was built, like many of them, to house many, many people.”
The cannery transferred ownership and sat mostly unused after that. Just out of college, in the early 2000s, the Porter brothers intervened.
“The cannery was just slowly deteriorating. They mothballed it, and it was sat there for years and years, and we just watched it deteriorate and we were like ‘well maybe there’s something we can do.’ And we put in an offer,” Eli said.
They’ve been working on restoring it ever since, which hasn’t been an easy task. The site of the cannery is only accessible during the warmer months, by boat or float plane. And both brothers also work full-time jobs, Abe as a Kenai firefighter, and Eli as a teacher at Nikiski Middle/High School.
“Every time we go over there after the winter, we’re always kind of biting our nails,” Abe said. “Okay, is everything still standing?”
The cannery is made up of more than a dozen buildings, including bunk houses, processing facilities and a store, all connected by a boardwalk. There’s also a dock, part of the cannery’s history as the only deep-water port on the west side of the inlet. The whole property is on wooden pilings.
“So we started with what’s called the Fribrock House, which was the owner’s house, and that needed restoration and that’s where we put a lot of pilings, a lot of care put into that place, a lot of forms poured,” Eli said. “Then, going in and renovating the inside of the house as well. Then we moved to the store, and above the store, into the bookkeeper's apartment, and renovated all that, put a lot of pilings in, poured a lot of forms for that.”
Abe and Eli say they’ve been learning as they go along, with the help of many carpentry expert friends.
“We’re actually coming back around to the, “Well, I think I already fixed that, but that was 20 years ago so here I am fixing it again,”’ Eli said.
The Porters aren’t just restoring the historic site; they’ve also been turning it into a tourist destination for sightseeing, bear viewing and fishing, to offset the costs of the restoration. That’s meant converting historic bunkhouses into modern lodging, and installing a new commercial kitchen. It operates under the name Snug Harbor Outpost.
“I think it’s always been in our mind that in order for this to work, it’s gonna have to have something that brings people here,” Eli said. “A part of that is, we just want to share it with people, too. We want people to see how cool it is. It’s an amazing place.”
After tackling much of the construction, the Porters decided to seek historical recognition. Spearheaded by Abe’s wife Mariah, last year, the team behind Snug Harbor set out to achieve a designation from the National Register of Historic Places. That recognition brings attention to the site, and opens it up to grant money.
Mariah said that process was pretty painstaking.
“There were write ups for every single building, and there are quite a few buildings over there,” she said.
There were 14, to be exact. Plus two sites, three structures and an object. With the help of a state historian Katie Ringsmuth, Mariah applied first for a nomination through the state historical commission, then moved on to the national scale. The cannery officially received the designation in September.
A press release from the state’s Department of Natural Resources describes the 104-year-old cannery complex as an important part of the inlet’s commercial fishing history, and notable for the diverse populations of women, Filipinos and Alaska Natives who worked at the facility.
“I think it opens up awareness, first of all, how special this place is, and the historical value that’s there,” Abe said. “And I think it will hopefully turn some heads of some key people that might be able to give us some ideas and direction on how to keep this place alive.”
The family is now applying for an Alaska Maritime Heritage Preservation grant, to expand their financial resources for reconstruction. Their next project is the restoration of the fisherman’s bunkhouse, which will allow more guests to stay at the cannery.
Mariah said the family’s investment in the cannery is still about their personal connection.
“Having our kids over there, it’s amazing,” she said. “We’re bringing up the fourth generation of commercial fishermen out of Snug Harbor. That’s amazing.”
Learn more about Snug Harbor Outpost here.
