CH A TH A M ALAS K A R ET R EAT Sitkoh Bay, Chatham, Alaska $1,895,000 | 30.22± Acres
Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
INTRODUCTION Chatham began in 1900 as a salmon cannery and was active until 1974. A fire destroyed the major buildings but several original buildings in the traditional New England style remained. The owners built a new home in 2012 using the design and many materials from an early 1900’s Mess Hall. They converted an original bunkhouse into a guest house with its own kitchen/ dining area while maintaining the traditional maritime New England look and feel. Several more buildings are on site, such as the historic carpenter shop and tool shop. There is ample room to build additional cabins or even a boathouse. Fishing, hunting, hiking, and beachcombing are remarkable at Chatham. Salmon, halibut, Dungeness and king crab, prawns, two salmon-spawning streams provide ample recreational fishing opportunity. If fly fishing is your preference, there are two streams in the bay with cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, steelhead, and Dolly Varden. One stream is a 15-minute walk down the beach, the other is just a skiff ride to the head of the bay. Wildlife sightings range from whales such as Pacific humpbacks and orcas, seals, sea lions, Sitka blacktail deer, eagles, and the coveted Alaska brown bear. The owner has ATVs stored across the bay to access 40 miles of former logging roads, a backcountry lake, deer hunting, and countless places for berry picking and foraging for chanterelles. Pictures do not capture the sounds, smells, and grandeur of Southeast Alaska and Chatham Retreat. Opportunities for this remarkable offering are endless. With its own private dock, bring your floatplane, 28’ foot fishing boat, or your 65’ foot yacht; there is room to park them all. Just a 2.5 - 3-hour boat ride north out of Sitka or a 3–4-hour boat ride south from Juneau. Room to land an R44 or Jet Ranger on the beach at low tide or charter a 206 and land at the dock. The sale includes half ownership of a Subchapter S corporation that provides generator power, caretaker services, and the availability of gas and diesel fuel for sale.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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QUICK FACTS • • • • • • • • • • •
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30.22± Acres 2.5 to 3-hour boat ride, 40 miles northeast of Sitka 4 to 5-hour boat ride, 55 air miles from Juneau Amazing fishing for trout, halibut, salmon, crab, and prawns Private dock with ramps to beach – will accommodate multiple yachts and float planes Bunkhouse 3,060 square feet – 8 rooms – sleeps up to 14 guests - has its own kitchen/dining area Owner’s house 1,056 square feet – fabulous kitchen - two bedrooms Completely off-grid with ample water, 24/7 power with inverter, satellite internet Located in the heart of Tongass National Forest Sale includes all furniture, fixtures, and equipment 21’ Bayliner Trophy, 17’ Aluminum Skiff, ATVs also available
Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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LOCATION Chichagof Island is one of the famous “A,” “B,” “C” Islands in southeast Alaska. Chatham is on the southern end of Chichagof Island in the Tongass National Forest.
GETTING THERE • •
From Juneau – charter floatplane flight 35 minutes or 4–5-hour boat ride From Sitka – charter floatplane flight 20 minutes or 2.5-3-hour boat ride
Chat ham Alaska Retreat
AIRPORT SERVICES Airport Services – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is 600 miles from Sitka. Alaska Air has convenient daily flights to both cities as well as daily flights originating in Seattle. 4
Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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AREA HISTORY Chatham Cannery was one of Southeast Alaska’s earliest canneries, built in 1899 by the family of Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann. Two years later, a visiting US Fisheries Special Agent called it “a new and first-class plant.” Several years ago, part of a canning machine emerged from the beach, heavily caked with dirt and rust. Careful cleaning revealed “1902 No.38” stamped in its label. It was manufactured by the Astoria Oregon Ironworks, which also made the massive 8-foot brass-hinged cookstove that is now the kitchen island in the owner’s house. After George T. Myers of Portland bought Chatham in 1904, it became one of the largest and most innovative salmon canneries in Southeast Alaska, packing mostly pinks and some reds (sockeye). It even had its own Post Office with Myers as Postmaster. After he died in 1907, Myers’ son owned it until 1929, when he sold it to New England Fish Company (NEFCO). At its peak, Chatham had about 150 seasonal employees. NEFCO ceased operations at Chatham in 1974 due to financial difficulties and a declining market for canned salmon. Many of the earliest cannery workers were Chinese; their Mess Hall had an enormous built-in wok, and their tiny opium bottles still occasionally surface on the beach. While the Chinese and Anglo workers lived and ate in separate dormitory-like bunkhouses, Native workers from surrounding towns lived with their families in small cabins along the beach. The now 60+ granddaughter of a venerated Tlingit elder who had worked at the cannery came to see where she spent several childhood summers. “My mother was literally born here at Chatham.” A notebook filled with research about Chatham includes copies of early 1900’s letters from the summer schoolteacher hired to teach the children. Chatham is completely surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, the largest in the country. Created in 1907 by President Teddy Roosevelt, this national forest land protects the property from commercial development that would detract from Sitkoh Bay’s wilderness beauty. 1902 Label from cannery
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
Photo credit: P39-682 Alaska State Library Case & Draper Photo Collection
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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ACREAGE 30.22± total acres 25± upland acres 5.6± tideland acres
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
TIMBERLAND The 25± upland acres are wooded with Sitka spruce and western hemlock native to the area. All timber rights appurtenant owned by Seller will convey to the Buyer at closing.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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CLIMATE Information for Juneau, AK courtesy of http://www.city-data.com/city/Sit ka-Alaska.html
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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THE MESS HAL L
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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THE BUNK HOUSE
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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RECREATION • • • • • • • •
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Fishing Hiking Paddle-boarding Beachcombing Diving Wildlife viewing Kayaking Exploring beautiful bays and beaches in the area
Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
H unting & W ildlife • • • • • • • •
Trophy Brown Bear Sitka Black Tail Deer Humpback Whales Orcas Seals Sea Lions Eagles Especially great whale watching right at the mouth of the bay
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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F ishing • • • • • • • • •
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King Salmon Silver Salmon Sockeye Pinks and Chum Halibut Rock Fish Lingcod and abundant black cod just outside the bay Trout Steelhead
Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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MINERAL RIGHTS All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the Seller will convey to the Buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the Buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company.
WATER RIGHTS | WATER SOURCES The water source for the Lodge is a spring that fills a 1,040-gallon wood cistern on a hill above the main house. It has provided a continuous supply of potable water. Seller does filter the water, which is “delicious!”
CONSERVATION | STEWARDSHIP Each of us at Fay Ranches has a love of the land and a desire to see it remain as productive agricultural ground as well as quality fish and wildlife habitat. Through promoting the use of thoughtful land stewardship, Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitats, and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, our clients’ conservation ethic and landuse practices have significantly enhanced the landscape on which we work.
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
SUMMARY This outstanding property, located in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, is entirely off the grid. It efficiently provides the basic necessities to live comfortably, whether just for the summer or year-round. Year-round occupancy would require changes to the water system with insulated pipes from the source to the houses. Current owners lived there from April to September. Accessible year-round from either Juneau or Sitka, this retreat offers it all to the adventurer, thrill-seeker, fisherman, or trophy hunter.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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PRICE $1,895,000
TERMS Cash, or other terms acceptable to Seller
DEED RESTRICTION The property comes with a covenant that runs with the land prohibiting commercial and non-family use of the subject property and the privately-owned 22 acres at the other end of the original cannery property. If the two owners agreed to remove the deed restriction, then commercial activity could be allowed in the future. Contact Listing Agent for a copy of the Deed Restriction.
RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL The adjacent property owner has a right of first refusal which he must exercise within ten days. Contact Listing Agent for a copy of the Right of First Refusal paperwork.
CONTACT This is an exclusive co-marketing with Fay Ranches, Inc. and Yvan Corbin of Top Shelf Realty, LLC. Contact Troy Dana at (360) 402-5500 | tdana@fayranches.com or Yvan Corbin at (907) 301-0875 | yvan@ alaskatopshelfrealty.com. An agent from Fay Ranches or Alaska Top Shelf Realty must be present at all showings, unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties, fly fishing properties, and sporting ranches that we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com.
NOTICE Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction. 24 Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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OPEN LETTER TO NEW OWNER If you are new to Alaska, your first visit to Chatham will be a sensory treat — its sights, sounds, and aromas create an indelible impression. We loved living surrounded by Chatham’s beauty and rich history. But it was also hugely rewarding to share that lifestyle with friends and family. Many used the same word — “magical” — and returned year after year. After a brief stopover in 1985, James Michener paid tribute to it in his epic historical novel, Alaska: “There were [six proposed cannery sites]. But a new firm called George T. Myers beat us to the best one of all in Sitkoh Bay.”
Sifting through photos of Chatham, I realize how difficult it is to show you what made Chatham one of the most rewarding chapters of my life. I’ve been flooded with memories —some from the photos and many that weren’t captured on camera but are vivid nonetheless. My long-time partner Av Gross purchased Chatham in 1983. When I first visited in 1998, it didn’t take long to realize why he loved spending as much time there as possible. When we retired, we realized our dream of living six months each year at Chatham and traveling the other six. Thanks to the extraordinary work of a wonderful contractor, we renovated the old Mess Hall for our home and the old Bunk House for our family and friends. It’s a particular joy to watch children develop pride and confidence from learning to fish, drive a skiff or ATV, and forage for mushrooms and berries. The little fisherman with his little fish became his grandfather’s fly-fishing student. Granddaughters learned to make shrimp gumbo, and one made a population sign which is changed by the youngest person in each group that arrives. 26
Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
Another grandson planned and built the smokehouse that makes terrific smoked salmon. That smoked salmon might be the appetizer for a Sitkoh Bay seafood or venison feast for 20 with veggies from the garden and wild berry pie served buffet-style on the 8-foot antique Mess Hall stove that is now the kitchen island. Chatham is activity and exciting adventure, but it is also tranquility and quiet reflection. A place where you can recharge your batteries, slow down if you wish, and take time with family and friends. Chatham enriched my life — and the lives of our family and friends — more than I can adequately describe. I sincerely hope it will now enrich yours. Annalee February 2022 www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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Chatham Alaska Retreat | Chatham, Alaska
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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TROY DANA PRINCIPAL BROKER
Fay Ranches Licensed in: WA, AK c. 360-402-5500 tdana@fayranches.com
FAY RANCHES INC. (800) 238.8616 info@fayranches.com www.fayranches.com
YVAN CORBIN BROKER | OWNER
Top Shelf Realty, LLC. Licensed in: AK c. 907-301-0875 yvan@alaskatopshelfrealty.com