Primary Name: Carlson, John L.
Filed as: carlson_john_l
Also known as: John L. Carlson
Occupation / Association: Cannery operator; Fisherman; Charter Member, Juneau Men's Igloo
Born: December 9, 1847, Stockholm, Sweden
Died: August 9, 1921, Juneau, Alaska
Parents: Ludwig Carlson
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Stockholm, Sweden; Astoria, Oregon; Taku Harbor, Alaska; Auk Harbor, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: John L Carlson, Carlson John L, Taku Harbor cannery operator, Auk Harbor cannery, Juneau Men's Igloo
Biography
John L. Carlson was a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo.
He was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 9, 1847, the son of Ludwig Carlson. Carlson immigrated to the United States in 1874 and soon afterward settled in Astoria, Oregon, where he worked for many years as a sailor and fisherman. He later entered business and became successful.
In 1900, Carlson went to Taku Harbor, Alaska. From that time until 1918, he operated the cannery there. His name became widely known throughout the North, and he developed the Taku Harbor plant into a model for many of the successful canneries that followed in Alaska.
In 1918, he sold the Taku Harbor cannery to the Libby, McNeil & Libby Company for approximately half a million dollars and expected to retire. However, his attachment to the work and to Alaska was so strong that he soon returned to the industry and constructed another cannery at Auk Harbor, a few miles north of Juneau.
John L. Carlson died in Juneau on August 9, 1921.
Sources
Alaska Daily Empire, August 10, 1921; Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers 1850–1950, Volume 3, p. 48, by Ed Ferrell (May 1, 2009)
Tags: John L Carlson, Carlson John L, Juneau Men's Igloo, Taku Harbor cannery, Alaska canning industry pioneers