| About Loring and Naha Bay Alaska |
| The small remote town of Loring is located on the north shore of Naha Bay, about 25 miles north of Ketchikan, southeast Alaska. Loring and the surrounding area of Naha Bay is remote
from the road system. The only way you can get to Loring and Naha Bay is by either an 18 minute float plane from Ketchikan or a 40 minute boat ride from Knudson Cove Marina. |
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Naha Bay was once the location of a summer camp of a Tlingit clan called Na.a'dih. (men of the distant lakes).
The Na.a'dih were part of the Xetlqoan and the Naha Bay camp was used by the Na.a'dih people for subsistence fishing
to provide food for the winter. Following a dispute between the Tantaqoan and the |
Xetlqoan, the Xetlqoan abandoned their southern holdings and migrated northwards to merge with the Stikinqoan. By the mid 20th century the Na.a'dih
no longer existed as a distinct clan.
The town of Loring was first settled in 1883 when Salmon Packers and Fur Co. established a salmon
saltery in Naha Bay. The Loring Post Office was opened in 1885. In 1888 Salmon Packers and Fur Co. sold the saltery to the Cutting Packing
Company who built a cannery adjacent to |
| Loring. In the 1890's the cannery became part of the Alaska Packer's Association, and became one of the largest canneries in Alaska. Production continued right through the 1920's, but
with declining salmon returns the cannery was closed and abandoned in 1930. The site was |
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| stripped with the timbers from Loring being used to build the nearby town of Ketchikan and a few remote cabins in and around Naha Bay. |
In 1889 the Ancon paddle steamer ran aground on rocks in Loring. One of the passengers, Albert Bierstadt recorded the events whilst waiting for the next ship south, and later completed his work,
"Wreck of the Ancon" which now hangs in the Boston Museum of Fine arts.
The event was also reported in the New York Times on September 13th 1889.
A second artist, C Eisele, also painted the event.
The boilers of the Ancon wreck can still be seen at low tide in Loring, Naha Bay |
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After the closure of the cannery site in Naha Bay, Loring shrunk in size and today consists of a hand full of properties. Today's Naha Bay residents and property owners include a commercial fisherman, carpenters,
a doctor, a librarian, small lodge and B&B owners to name a few.
Today's residents also include direct descendants of the early families who arrived in Loring in 1890 along with new families who now call
Loring and Naha Bay their home. |
Some of the small businesses located in Loring, Naha Bay, Alaska are:
Naha Bay Outdoor Adventures (Lodge)
Porpoise Inn (Rental Cabin)
Saltery Lodge (Lodge)
Stack's Clan House Inn (B&B)
Photographs and Paintings of Naha Bay & Loring
Albert Bierstadt - Fishing and Hunting Camp, Loring
Albert Bierstadt- Wreck of the Ancon, Loring
C. Eisele - Wreck of the Ancon, Loring
Ketchikan Photos - by local photographer Marvin L. Scott -
Loring and Naha Bay Photos - by Kathy Stack-
Loring and Naha Bay Photos - 1
Loring and Naha Bay Photos - 2
Published Works About Naha Bay and Loring by Local Writers
Loring, Once a Serious Rival To Ketchikan, By June Allen
The Stack's Family Long History, By June Allen
A Famous Artist Runs Aground in Loring, by David Kiffer
Crusing to Alaska, by David Kiffer
Destination and Travel Guides About Naha Bay & Loring
Lonely Planet Guide, Settlers Cove to Naha Bay
Trails.com, Clover Passage and Naha Bay
DNR/ Alaska State Trails Program, Naha River Trail
US Forest Service, Forest Facts: Salmon Canneries
US Forest Service, Recreational Facilities in Ketchikan Area
Miscelaneous Links
Sunset and Sunrise Times for Loring and Naha Bay Alaska
Tide Predictions for Loring and Naha Bay Alaska
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