Alaska Packers' Association

Alaska Packers' Association
Company type	Private
Industry	Food processing, Fishing
Founded	1891
Founder	Henry Frederick Fortmann (president from inception)
Defunct	1982
Fate	Sold to ConAgra
Headquarters	San Francisco, United States
Area served	Alaska, United States
Key people	Henry Frederick Fortmann, William Timson, A.K. Tichenor
Products	Canned salmon
Number of employees	Not specified
Parent	California Packing Corporation (from 1916)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Alaska Packers' Association, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 24 July 2025

The Alaska Packers' Association (APA), based in San Francisco, was a prominent producer of Alaska canned salmon from its inception in 1891 until it was sold in 1982. As the foremost salmon packing enterprise in Alaska, APA commanded a substantial portion of the market and wielded considerable political clout. It is especially recognized for operating the "Star Fleet," which was the final commercial sailing fleet on the West Coast of North America, remaining active until 1927.

Foundation

Formed in 1891 during a period of surplus in Alaska's rapidly growing salmon sector, the APA initially aimed to regulate excess canned salmon sales. It officially incorporated in 1892 under the name Alaska Packing Association to better synchronize production with market needs. Of the original group of 31 canneries, nine shut down that same year. In 1893, the entity adopted the name Alaska Packers Association to better represent its changing operational focus.

Henry Frederick Fortmann (1856–1946), proprietor of Arctic Packing Company—one of the founding firms—held the presidency from the organization's beginning until 1922 and stayed on as a board member until his passing. Following leaders included William Timson and A.K. Tichenor, who played key roles in guiding APA through critical phases of expansion.

Expansion

The APA grew to dominate Alaska’s salmon packing industry, managing canneries located in Bristol Bay, Chignik, Karluk, Cook Inlet, and Southeast Alaska. Their facilities were marked by "Diamond" designations (such as Diamond NC at Clark's Point and Diamond E at Egegik), which symbolized their corporate identity and market reach. The Diamond NC cannery, founded in 1888, still exists though it ceased operations in 1950; meanwhile, the Diamond M and O canneries at South Naknek, established in 1895, remain active today.

As Alaska’s largest industry, canned salmon accounted for more than 80% of territorial tax income. APA’s robust financial results and influence extended into political spheres in Juneau and Washington DC, where it collaborated with the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries within the US Department of Commerce. Despite opposition from local interests—who often accused APA of monopolistic practices, notably voiced by Territorial Representative Dan Sutherland—the company effectively used its influence to shape fishery policies to its advantage.

APA also invested in fish farming initiatives through hatcheries near Karluk and Loring, benefiting from tax incentives tied to releasing salmon smolt into the wild. In 1907, although they canned salmon valued over $3 million, these tax credits reduced their tax obligation to a mere 32 cents—a strategic fiscal benefit that strengthened their competitive position.

In addition to commercial activities, APA showed corporate social responsibility by offering medical services through cannery hospitals to Native populations. During the 1919 Spanish flu outbreak, APA played a vital role in assisting affected Alaskan communities by helping with burials and caring for sick individuals and orphaned children when federal support was insufficient, highlighting its significant community role despite ongoing criticism regarding its industry dominance.

Mergers and acquisitions

In 1916, the Alaska Packers Association joined forces with Griffin & Skelley, Central California Canneries, J. K. Armsby Co., and the California Fruit Canners Association to establish the California Packing Corporation (CalPack), a company focused on canned fruits, vegetables, and Hawaiian pineapple products. This entity later rebranded itself as Del Monte Foods, named after its flagship label. Eventually, the APA moved its main office to the Seattle vicinity.

The firm experienced significant growth throughout the 1930s as salmon harvesting increased; however, numerous Alaskan canneries shut down during World War II and did not resume operations afterward. During the conflict, the Alaska Packers' Association managed merchant vessels under contracts with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration, operating Liberty ships such as USS Alkes and SS Louis A. Sengteller, which were staffed with US Navy Armed Guards.

Following the war, salmon populations declined due to factors including overharvesting, regulatory challenges, and environmental shifts like the Pacific decadal oscillation. Many APA processing plants were outdated and in need of upgrades; nonetheless, CalPack's financial policies hesitated to allocate funds for modernization amid dwindling salmon availability and consumer trends favoring more affordable tuna options.

Salmon yields remained low from the 1950s through the early 1970s. By 1982, as salmon stocks began to recover somewhat, most of APA’s holdings were sold to ConAgra based in Omaha, Nebraska, for an undisclosed amount. Later on, several properties located in Bristol Bay were purchased by Trident Seafoods.

The Star Fleet

The APA is distinguished for maintaining one of the final fleets of tall ships, a cost-efficient approach within the seasonal salmon canning sector. Early in the 20th century, APA shifted from wooden sailing vessels to iron-hulled ships by acquiring vessels constructed by Harland & Wolff Co. originally for James P. Corry and Co.'s Star Line, including notable ships like Star of Italy, Star of Russia, Star of Bengal, and Star of France. The organization adopted a "Star of" naming scheme for its fleet members, examples being Star of Alaska and Star of Finland. By 1930, steam and diesel engines had mostly replaced sail power.

Alaska’s severe weather conditions led to several maritime disasters, most famously the 1908 wreck of the Star of Bengal. While being towed from Wrangell, Alaska carrying a full cannery crew and approximately 2.5 million cans of salmon, the vessel broke apart near Coronation Island, causing 111 fatalities predominantly among Chinese and Japanese laborers.

As late as 1927, APA still possessed fourteen square-rigged sailing ships within its "Star Fleet," though only two remain today. The Star of India is preserved at the San Diego Maritime Museum, while the Star of Alaska (formerly known as Balclutha) is exhibited at San Francisco's Maritime National Historical Park. The Star of Russia lies submerged at a depth of 40 meters in Port Vila harbor, Vanuatu, now serving as a favored diving location. Other former fleet vessels include Star of England, Star of Falkland, Star of Greenland, among several others that no longer exist afloat.

Present situation

The acronym APA is currently adopted by the At-Sea Processors Association, a trade group based in Seattle that represents seven firms operating a total of 19 US-flagged catcher/processor vessels involved in the Alaska pollock and West Coast Pacific whiting fisheries. This entity is entirely separate and unrelated to the original Alaska Packers' Association.

References

Videos and images

Sockeye and the age of sail: a narrative of the Alaska Packers Association, 42-minute video - archive.org
Photographs of the Alaska Packers Association, Western Waters Digital Library
Alaska Packers Association Fleet and Shipyards
Butterfly Salmon Can Label San Francisco, CA.

Star Fleet

Huycke, Harold. The great Star Fleet. 1960
Loring, Charles M. Data & notes on the sailing vessel fleet of the Alaska Packers Association, San Francisco, Calif. 1947
Zeusler, F.A. The Star Fleet. Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society. 1965
Dyal, Donald H. The Fleet Book of the Alaska Packers Association, 1893–1945; an Historical Overview and List. North Charleston, South Carolina, 2014

Labor conditions

Guimary, Donald L. Marumina trabaho: a history of labor in Alaska's salmon canning industry: Dirty work. iUniverse, 2006
Cooper, Diane E. Annotated bibliography, Chinese contract system and the Pacific salmon industry. Karl Kortum Endowment for Maritime History, 1997
McCullough, Nicole Susan. The 1951 Bristol Bay salmon strike: isolation, independence and illusion in the last frontier, 2001
Max Stern. The price of salmon. Daily News (San Francisco), 1922. A journalist’s account of working conditions aboard an Alaska Packers vessel
ALASKA PACKERS' ASS'N v. DOMENICO et al., Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, May 26, 1902
Alaska Packers' Association Fleet List – San Francisco, CA
Environmental Protection Agency report on waste disposal methods used by Alaska seafood processors
Daniel B. Deloach. The Salmon Canning Industry
Canneries of Bristol Bay – National Park Service
Navigating Troubled Waters – National Park Service
Chinese Cannery recruitment contractors

General

Newell, Dianne. The Evolution of the Pacific Salmon Canning Industry: A Man's Endeavor, 1990
Roppel, Patricia. Kodiak Island's Salmon Fishery: A Historical Overview
Wikersham, James. The Exploitation of Alaska's Salmon: The "Silver Horde" Slaughter for Massive Profits by Packers, 1911
Alaska Packers Association Archives, 1891-1970 (formerly held by Del Monte Corporation)
Collection of Photographs Featuring Salmon Can Labels, Wooden Shipping Crates, and Corporate Emblems

External links

Alaska Packers' Association. Canned Salmon Recipes from 1900 with Color Illustrations Internet Archive
History of Ketchikan: Known as the Canned Salmon Capital of the World
Guide to the Alaska Packers' Association Logbooks, 1876-1945
Alaska Packers Association – Digital Archives of Alaska
Museum Dedicated to the Alaska Packers Association Cannery