Anchor Point, Alaska

Anchor River ~ Anchor Point, Alaska

This hand drawn map of the Anchor River was in circulation in the 1961 - 1963 time frame. The initials of the artist is in the lower right corner, however, they are not familiar to myself.  The map was a "handout" that Elizabeth Aprill used in their business, Aprill's Motel which is now named the Anchor River Inn.  Although the map is useful, several of the fishing holes are not named correctly on the map.  At the same time, there were several very popular fishing holes that are not named. 

ANCHOR RIVER

The community of Anchor Point, Alaska is located on the lower Kenai Peninsula, approximately one hundred ninety-five road miles from the City of Anchorage and sixteen miles north of the City of Homer, Alaska. The documented early history of the area shows that the famed British Explorer, Captain Cook visited the area in his search of the Northwest Passage. Reportedly, he anchored off the shores of this area and while at anchorage lost an anchor in the tidal current of the inlet.  He would document this on his chart and log book,  simply as “anchor point”. It was on this voyage that he would also name several of the volcanoes situated on the western shore line of Cook Inlet.

Anchor Point is an unincorporated community and has not changed drastically during the past fifty-six years that I have been familiar with the area.  Anchor Point was first populated by early day gold miners followed by a religious group of families that homesteaded in the area. A number of their descendants still live in the area of Anchor Point.  As a child and young man, the boat that was utilized by these early missionaries was sitting well above the high tide line in the tidal marsh area of the Anchor River. Since there was no name on the boat, it was simply called the “missionary boat”. The boat disappeared sometime in the early 1960’s.  Although, I was not present, I am assuming that the boat was washed back into the sea following the Great Alaskan Earthquake in 1964.  One of the favorite sport fishing spots on the Anchor River was in the vicinity of the boat and was named appropriately the “Mission Boat Hole”.  This particular fishing spot has also disappeared due to the ever changing channel of the Anchor River.

The community of Anchor Point is documented as the being the most westerly highway point in North America that is connected by a continuous highway system.  Although, this is an attraction, especially for those visiting the area, the Anchor River remains the most popular attraction in the area of the community.  The Anchor River is recognized by fishermen from around the world for the fishing of King Salmon, Silver Salmon, and Steelhead Trout.  Other species would include the Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, and Pink Salmon.  The sport fishery of Anchor River and the adjoining marine fisheries is a major economic factor for the community of Anchor Point.

Clark Peterson Homestead

Clark Peterson and family were one of the first homesteaders that moved into the area of Anchor Point.  Having this opportunity, he chose to homestead the Anchor River Valley.  This homestead would include the property extending upstream from the forks of the Anchor River and downstream to the commencement of the tidal marsh land at the mouth of the Anchor River.  The Anchor River would bisect his homestead.  His westerly border of the homestead would be that area just past the area known as the Slide Hole Campground today. It was in this area, that he would build his homestead house and barn.  The area of where his home once stood is in the cul-de-sac of the Slide Hole Campground parking area.  The actual campground area is located in the cleared and pastureland that he utilized to “prove up” on his homestead.  This area was fenced and often referred to as the “pasture”.  Several families, including mine, when my brothers and I hauled a truck load of Shetland Ponies to Alaska from Colorado would utilize this area to pasture our horses.  At the time of the “homestead” the house sit on the banks of the Anchor River, again on a very popular fishing Hole which we named appropriately, “Farmhouse Hole”.  Although not documented, it is rumored that sometime after 1963 due to house being that close to the river and susceptible to flooding a little gravel was re-arranged at the head of the “Farmhouse Hole” to encourage the river to change course.  Whether this rumor is correct or Mother Nature made the choice will never be known but the river did change channels as we know it today.  The old river bed, although overgrown by willows is still visible from the Cul-De-Sac at the parking area at the Slide Hole Campground.

Clark Peterson was an entrepreneur.  The Sterling Highway pushed through the area to connect the communities of Soldatna (original spelling) and Homer.  The “Old Sterling Highway” at the intersection in Anchor Point follows the original route.  The new Sterling Highway was built in 1959.   The original Sterling Highway would pass through the easterly portion of the Peterson homestead as it crossed the Anchor River Valley.  Being the entrepreneur, Clark Peterson built the Silver King Lodge adjacent to the highway on the south side of the Anchor River Bridge and would become the intersection of the Beach Road and Old Sterling Highway. The Silver King Lodge was a full service facility and at one time the Post Office for Anchor Point.  The facility included a general store, walk-in freezer unit, restaurant, three campgrounds, and several rental cabins along the Anchor River.  These were all built out of local rough cut lumber and three sided logs. In later years, the facility would also host a liquor license.  The main building housed the main floor, full basement and a third story which was living accommodations for the family.  Clark Peterson, wanting to take advantage of the resources available would set a beach trot line for halibut.  Baiting the hooks at low tide, standing guard on them so the sea gulls would not pick off the bait, he would wait until high tide.  As the tide turned to going low, he would then pick the halibut that he caught. Clean them and sell them through his store.  In the spring, when the Anchor River broke up, he would also take a saw and cut up blocks of river ice.  He had a shed built off the rear of the store that contained saw dust where he would place the blocks of ice.  If a customer wanted ice, he would retrieve a block from the “ice house” rinse it off with a hose and sell it to the happy customer. 

Recognizing the popularity of the area, he decided to sell a portion of his property.  The first two pieces that he developed were small lots and cabins located on the banks of the river.  One cabin would be the cabin my father purchased a few years later for $1,200 and the second cabin that was adjoining was later purchase by Don Dafoe, Alaska Commissioner of Education. Emmitt Trimble would purchase or trade of both pieces of property in later years.  His next subdivision would be the Clark Peterson Subdivision, which is located at the head of the Steelhead Campground and adjacent to the Dudis Hole on the Anchor River. This would become one of the first subdivisions on the Kenai Peninsula.  It was during this time, that someone mentioned to Clark Peterson that he should have conveyances on the property that he sold could not be used commercially in order to protect his own business.  Those conveyances were placed into effect.  It first came to our attention when we developed our original business, Harrington’s Fishing Shack.   I can remember my dad fleeing to Homer to check to see if the rumor was correct.  In the case of the property he purchased, no conveyances were recorded.  The second time this problem appeared was when I built the Anchor Angler Tackle Shop.  Knowing the problem that my father had, I checked prior to closing on the property. The conveyance did apply to the property that I wanted to purchase from Arnie Murto. At the time, Clark Peterson and his wife were still living in Idaho. They happily agreed to release the conveyance on the property.  That was my last contact with the Peterson family.

Clark Peterson would continue to operate the Silver King Lodge property until 1958.  At that time, he wanted to retire and sold all of the properties to a Mr. Gene Saxton, a lawyer from Anchorage.  Not wanting to operate the business, Mr. Saxton contracted his brother-in-law Clarence “Smitty” Smith to manage the business.  My mother and father leased the restaurant portion of the business from Saxton / Smith in 1959.  We operated the business 24 hours a day until the fall off 1959.  This was not only the summer of statehood but also the year that the New Sterling Highway was developed to Homer.  My family sub-leased it to the family of Lucky and Betty Platt.  Prior to the development of their homestead, I believe that they were the last family to live in the original homestead house.  Following the Platt’s operating the restaurant; it did go through several operators until the property was sold to the State of Alaska. 

In or around 1966, Gene Saxton decided to sell all of the property in Anchor Point.  Despite the location and the amount of land, if my memory recall correctly the asking price was $100,000, there was no one in the area that could afford to buy it.  Members of the Guy Wadell Sportsman Association was concerned that a wealthy entrepreneur would discover the property, purchase it, and then block if off to private fishing only.  Association members discussed the issue with Clem Tillion who was serving in the Alaska State Senate.  He introduced an appropriation bill for the State of Alaska to purchase the property and turn it into a State Park. The Appropriation Bill was passed and the deal was consummated between the State of Alaska and Saxton. 

The original Silver King Lodge was purchased by Arnie Murto who owned a bar and liquor store on the bluff overlooking the river named the Scandinavian Inn.  He moved the old lodge across the street onto the property that he had purchased from Clark Peterson.  It was his intention to relocate his business atop the bluff to this new location.  During that winter, a vagrant moved into the apartment upstairs and set it on fire.  The building was a complete loss; the only thing salvaged was the sign that reads “Silver King Lodge” which I have in my possession. 

The State of Alaska would also own one additional piece of the Clark Peterson Homestead.  One lot and cabin in the Clark Peterson Subdivision did go into foreclosure.  Again, the Guy Waddell Sportsman Association heard about it and voted to make an attempt to purchase it as a meeting cabin for their association. Three members of the association appeared at the Marshall’s Sale, my father, Howard Myhill, and Milt Turkington. They were the only ones that showed up for the auction, my father asked the Marshall if there were a minimum bid, replying that there was none, my father bid five dollars ($5.00) and there was no other bid.  Feeling like they may have taken advantage of the situation, the entire membership of the association voted to see if the Department of Fish and Game would be interested in having the property to house the biologist that worked on the river.  The association donated the property to the State of Alaska.  Today, the cabin is still being utilized by the Department of Fish and Game.           

I was first introduced to the Anchor River as a child in 1956 when our family first visited the area.  My father and brother had visited the area on two different occasions prior to moving our family to this location.  Although, I grew up and went to school in Homer, my summers were predominantly spent in Anchor Point; consequently the Anchor River has always been my “hometown”.  The river has played a very important part in my life.  In 1959, my family leased the restaurant at the Silver King Lodge which was located adjacent to the river.  The location of the lodge is now known as the Silver King Campground which is managed by the State of Alaska, Division of State Parks.   In 1959, my father also purchased a small cabin on the banks of the Anchor River for our personal use.  In 1961, we would convert this cabin into a small business catering to the sport fish industry.  Appropriately named “Harrington’s Fishing Shack” in which we sold fishing tackle but our predominant business would become smoking, canning, or freezing sport caught fish. The first business of this kind in Anchor Point.  By 1962, we were purchasing commercial fish from the local set netters and processing it into smoked salmon and canned salmon for Alaska Wild Berry retail outlet in Homer.

My family would continue to operate the family business after I had left home for the U.S. Navy.  In 1968, my father would transfer the ownership of Harrington’s Fishing Shack to a new owner.  Although, this was not a normal transfer of real property.  My father was an avid Winchester rifle collector.  He had a friend that was a gun shop owner in Anchorage.  They had previous dealing, in which they  traded guns.   My father traded the business for thirty guns and as a gentleman’s agreement that he would receive one gun per year for five years.  The agreement was adhered to and paid in full.  Since that time, the property has changed hands several times to various individuals.  Following the purchase of the Anchor River valley by the State of Alaska and the dismantling of the Silver King Lodge, the name of Harrington’s Fishing Shack was changed to Silver King Tackle Shop.

In 1986, upon my retirement from the U.S. Navy, I would return to the Anchor River and build a new business, the Anchor Angler which was located at the intersection of the Beach Road and the Old Sterling Highway.  This property was adjacent to the former site of the Silver King Lodge.  My family and I would operate this business for twenty-two years.  With time, patience, and a great deal of work from all members of my family, we built the business into a world class tackle shop. I purchased this property from Arnie and Thelma Murto.  A few years later, I would purchase the remaining portion of their original; homestead that was located on the bluff overlooking the Anchor River.  This was the site of the Scandinavian Inn, the first bar in Anchor Point that was later destroyed by fire.  It is now where our home is located, overlooking the Anchor River, a river of memories. 

The one thing remaining constant in Anchor Point is the Anchor River Bridge.  This bridge was constructed when the Sterling Highway was built to connect the lower Kenai Peninsula to the highway system.  The “old bridge” has served us well, having survived every flood since it was built, including the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964.