Primary Name: Kirberger, Ernest
Filed as: kirberger_ernest
Also known as: Ernest Kirberger
Occupation / Association: Cannery operator; merchant; postmaster; Charter Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6
Born: June 21, 1880, Warren, Pennsylvania
Died: July 11, 1955, Seattle, Washington
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Warren, Pennsylvania; Wrangell, Alaska; Kake, Alaska; Keku Islands, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Seattle, Washington
Keywords: Ernest Kirberger, Kirberger Ernest, Keku Trading Company, Kake cannery, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6, Alaska-Yukon pioneers
Biography
Ernest Kirberger was a charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6.
He was born in Warren, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1880. As a young man, he traveled north with the University of Pennsylvania on a geology expedition along the Tetlin Trail in northwestern Canada. Kirberger had originally intended to pursue a career as a Shakespearean actor, but the experience of the northern country fascinated him so deeply that he decided to return to Alaska.
He first went to Wrangell, where he met Fred Sepp, and the two became partners in mild-curing salmon and fishing. They later moved to Kake, where they established a cannery and the Keku Trading Company. After Sepp drowned, Kirberger continued operating the business.
Kirberger became well known among the Tlingit people of the region. He was initiated into the tribe and was given the name “Dook Dooth,” meaning “a strong man.”
When his store in Kake burned in 1924, he lost a large collection of Native artifacts and curios. He soon made plans for a new building, which opened in 1928. During his years in Kake, he also served as postmaster and encouraged young people in the community to pursue education and leadership roles.
Ernest Kirberger died in Seattle, Washington, on July 11, 1955.
Sources
Alaska Weekly, July 29, 1955; Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers 1850-1950, Vol. 3, pp. 178-179, Ed Ferrell