Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska Chugach and Tongass National Forests Written For: U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region Contract No: AG-0109-C-11-0002 Written By: Jayne Aaron and Steven Chris Baker AARCHER, Inc. December 16, 2011 Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska This report presents the results of historic evaluations of the Tongass Ranger and Sitka Ranger, vessels of the U.S. Forest Service Alaska Ranger boat fleet. The boats are two of the last three ranger boats remaining in commission (the other is the Chugach). The Tongass Ranger and Sitka Ranger have been in continual government service from 1959 until 2010, except for a few years in the mid-1980s during major overhauls. Throughout their service, the vessels have been based in the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska. The Tongass National Forest encompasses 17 million acres of mostly temperate rain forest and embraces 11,000 miles of coastline. Other landforms include coastal fjords, inland ice fields, glaciers, and mountains. The forest incorporates the international boundary between the United States and Canada, and stretches from the southern tip of Prince of Wales Island to Malaspina Glacier to the north. The western and eastern boundaries are defined by the Pacific Ocean and the Boundary Range of the Coast Mountains. The historic properties evaluations documented in this report were performed in accordance with section110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and were conducted in support of projects planned in association with the management of Tongass and Chugach national forests. The resources were evaluated to ascertain if they rise to the level of significance and retain integrity to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Site visits to Sitka, Petersburg, and Ketchikan, Alaska, were conducted between July 10 and July 14, 2011. The site visits included survey evaluations of each vessel, records searches at U.S. Forest Service offices and on the ranger boats, and interviews with persons who could provide information on the operation of the ranger boat program. Archival and documentary research was also conducted in Anchorage, Alaska, between July 10 and July 15, 2011. The Tongass Ranger and Sitka Ranger qualify for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under criterion A, for association with broad patterns of history under the themes of maritime, commerce, and government; and criterion C for embodiment of a distinct characteristic or a type of vessel. The vessels retain integrity for location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The period of significance is from their launch dates (1959 and 1958, respectively) to 1968 when the timber industry in Tongass National Forest dramatically decreased. This report is intended to be a stand-alone document. It includes all elements necessary to determine national register eligibility. Sections below provide discussions on field and research methods (chapter 2), environmental setting (chapter 3), historic context for ranger boats in Alaska (chapter 4), survey results and application of evaluation criteria (chapter 5), and conclusions and recommendations (chapter 6). The U.S. Forest Service site forms with photographs and a map are included in appendix B. The narrative report and appendices provide documentation of historic features for purposes of determining the effects of undertakings on vessels evaluated in this report. Transfer of government property out of federal ownership is considered an adverse effect to historic properties. Therefore, the U.S. Forest Service must consult with the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer to negotiate mitigation for the adverse effect prior to transfer. It is recommended that while the vessels are currently not in use, the U.S. Forest Service make efforts to collect and properly store the vessel logs, photographs, drawings, and other records. Permanent historic records should be stored to archival standards. December 2011 i Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska ii December 2011 Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 General Purpose and Description of the Project .......................................................... 1-1 1.2 Project Participants and Consultants ............................................................................ 1-1 1.3 Dates of Work on the Project ........................................................................................ 1-2 2.0 FIELD AND RESEARCH METHODS ........................................................................................ 2-1 2.1 Background Research .................................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Field Reconnaissance Survey ...................................................................................... 2-2 2.3 National Register of Historic Places Evaluation Criteria ............................................... 2-2 3.0 LOCATION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA .................................... 3-1 4.0 HISTORIC CONTEXT: RANGER BOATS IN ALASKA ........................................................... 4-1 4.1 Reserving Alaska’s Forest Lands ................................................................................. 4-1 4.2 The Forest Service in Alaska ........................................................................................ 4-4 4.3 Ranger Boats ................................................................................................................ 4-6 5.0 HISTORIC PROPERTY INVENTORY AND EVALUATION ...................................................... 5-1 5.1 Ranger Boat Inventory .................................................................................................. 5-1 5.1.1 Description of Exterior ...................................................................................... 5-2 5.1.2 Description of Interior ....................................................................................... 5-4 5.1.3 Modifications .................................................................................................... 5-6 5.2 Evaluation ................................................................................................................... 5-10 5.2.1 Statement of Significance .............................................................................. 5-10 5.2.2 National Register of Historic Places Eligibility ............................................... 5-12 5.2.3 Integrity .......................................................................................................... 5-13 5.2.4 Period of Significance .................................................................................... 5-14 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................... 6-1 7.0 REFERENCES CITED ............................................................................................................... 7-1 7.1 Primary Sources: Correspondence, Diaries, and Reports ............................................ 7-1 7.2 Secondary Sources ....................................................................................................... 7-5 7.3 Newspaper and Newsletter Articles .............................................................................. 7-6 7.4 Government Publications .............................................................................................. 7-6 7.5 Personal Communication .............................................................................................. 7-7 December 2011 iii Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska APPENDICES Appendix A: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix B: Alaska Site/Building Forms (with photographs and maps) Appendix C: Interview Summaries/Notes Appendix D: Selected Vessel Plans and Sections, 1958 Appendix E: Preparers FIGURES Figure 3-1. Chugach National Forest area map ..................................................................................... 3-1 Figure 3-2. Tongass National Forest location map ................................................................................. 3-2 Figure 4-1. Afognak Forest location map ................................................................................................ 4-2 Figure 4-2. Ranger Boat Tahn ................................................................................................................ 4-7 Figure 4-3. Ranger I docked in Ketchikan, 1924 .................................................................................... 4-8 Figure 4-4. U.S. Ranger 5 ....................................................................................................................... 4-9 Figure 4-5. Weepoose, at Gravina Island, 1930 ................................................................................... 4-11 Figure 4-6. U.S. Ranger 6, date unknown ............................................................................................ 4-11 Figure 4-7. Chugach with Wanigan, date unknown .............................................................................. 4-12 Figure 4-8. Ranger 7, 1959 ................................................................................................................... 4-13 Figure 4-9. Ranger 8 under construction at Gravina, 1928 .................................................................. 4-13 Figure 4-10. Ranger 9, Gravina Island, Ketchikan, 1930 ...................................................................... 4-14 Figure 4-11. The Forester at Port Alice, 1961 ....................................................................................... 4-15 Figure 4-12. Ranger 8 at Point Baker, date unknown ........................................................................... 4-19 Figure 4-13. Ranger 10, date unknown ................................................................................................ 4-19 Figure 4-14. Taku 1959 ......................................................................................................................... 4-20 Figure 4-15. Sitka Ranger at White Sisters, date unknown .................................................................. 4-21 Figure 4-16. Chugach 1928 at Nunatak Fjord ....................................................................................... 4-22 Figure 4-17. Tongass Ranger, date unknown ....................................................................................... 4-23 Figure 4-18. Chugach and Tongass, date unknown ............................................................................. 4-25 Figure 4-19. Tongass Ranger ............................................................................................................... 4-26 Figure 4-20. Chugach, date unknown ................................................................................................... 4-27 Figure 4-21. Sitka Ranger, date unknown ............................................................................................ 4-28 Figure 5-1. George Sarvela and Ralph Ohman on the Sitka Ranger, March 1959 (poor quality old newspaper photo) ................................................................................................................. 5-1 Figure 5-2. Philip F. Spalding Advertisement, New Cruisers for the Timber Cruisers ............................ 5-2 Figure 5-3. Ranger boat under construction, 1958 ................................................................................. 5-3 Figure 5-4. Tongass Ranger forecastle, 2011 ........................................................................................ 5-5 Figure 5-5. Tongass Ranger forecastle looking aft, 2011 ....................................................................... 5-5 Figure 5-6. D353 Caterpillar engine from port side, Sitka Ranger (poor quality newspaper photo) ....... 5-6 Figure 5-7. Galley, Sitka Ranger (poor quality newspaper photo) .......................................................... 5-6 Figure 5-8. Office in stateroom, Sitka Ranger (poor quality newspaper photo) ..................................... 5-6 Figure 5-9. Sitka Ranger in Sitka, Alaska, 2011 ..................................................................................... 5-7 Figure 5-10. Modifications to boat boom, Sitka....................................................................................... 5-8 Figure 5-11. Modified wheelhouse Sitka Ranger, 2011 .......................................................................... 5-8 Figure 5-12. Original wheelhouse Tongass Ranger 2011 ...................................................................... 5-8 Figure 5-13. Tongass Ranger in Ketchikan, 2011 .................................................................................. 5-9 Figure 5-14. Boat boom, Tongass Ranger, 2011 ................................................................................. 5-11 iv December 2011 Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 GENERAL PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT This project is related to current U.S. Forest Service (USFS) planning efforts exploring the best future use of ranger boats. A wide range of alternatives are being considered, from continued current use to excessing the vessels. Some alternatives could be considered undertakings affecting historic properties. The Forest Service is required to identify, evaluate, and protect historic properties within its jurisdiction and must ensure that the actions it takes do not inadvertently harm or destroy properties deemed historic under the stipulations of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (NHPA). The purpose of this document is to develop a historic context related to the operation of U.S. Forest Service ranger boats in Alaska and provide an evaluation of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility of two of the three ranger boats currently in use in Alaska. These include the Sitka Ranger, in Sitka, Alaska, and the Tongass Ranger, in Ketchikan, Alaska. The third ranger boat, the Chugach, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 and, therefore, is not evaluated in this study. The Chugach is discussed in the historic context section. There are two national forests in Alaska with over 17,000 miles of coastline. The Chugach National Forest, the smaller of the two (although it is still the second-largest national forest in the United States) is in central Alaska and comprises over 5 million acres. There have been no ranger boats stationed in the Chugach National Forest since 1953. All U.S. Forest Service ranger boats in Alaska are currently based in the Tongass National Forest, in the southeastern part of the state. The national forest encompasses 17 million acres and embraces 11,000 miles of coastline. Waterborne vessels have always been important tools for administering these forests. 1.2 PROJECT PARTICIPANTS AND CONSULTANTS This document was developed by the cultural resources and planning division of AARCHER, Inc. Project personnel included Mr. Chris Baker, historian, and Ms. Jayne Aaron, architectural historian and principal investigator. The following current and former USFS employees contributed to this project: Mr. Jack Yearty and Mr. Richard Guhl, former skippers of the Tongass Ranger; Mr. Stan Johnson, former skipper of the Sitka Ranger; Mr. John Lombardo, fleet mechanic; Mr. Mike Cruise, former fleet manager Tongass National Forest; Mr. John Autry and Mr. Mark McCallum, Tongass National Forest archaeologists; Mr. Jack Griffith, former forest surveyor; Mr. Paul McIntosh, former interpretive planner for Tongass National Forest; and Mr. Jeremy Karchut, forest archaeologist. Dr Priscilla Schulte, cultural anthropologist, University of Alaska, also contributed information. December 2011 1-1 Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska 1.3 DATES OF WORK ON THE PROJECT This project was awarded on May 20, 2011, with work to be completed by January 23, 2012. Site visits to Sitka, Petersburg, and Ketchikan, Alaska, were conducted between July 10 and July 14, 2011. The site visits included survey evaluations of each vessel, records searches at USFS offices and on the ranger boats, and interviews with persons who could provide information on the operation of the ranger boat program. Archival and documentary research was conducted in Anchorage, Alaska, between July 10 and July 15, 2011. Upon completion of the site visit and research, the draft and final reports were prepared. 1-2 December 2011 Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska 2.0 FIELD AND RESEARCH METHODS Historic properties and structures are primarily identified through a combination of literature and archival records reviews, field surveys, and application of NRHP criteria (see section 2.3). Archival records reviews were conducted using real property records, historic documents, blueprints and construction drawings, and interviews. This information was used to develop the historic context and complete Alaska state site forms for the Sitka Ranger and Tongass Ranger. The historic properties survey conducted for the U.S. Forest Service, Region 10, included the following tasks: background/archival research, interviews with knowledgeable individuals associated with the ranger boat program (especially the Sitka Ranger and Tongass Ranger), boat survey and documentation, and an evaluation of eligibility of the surveyed resources for listing in the national register. 2.1 BACKGROUND RESEARCH Background research was conducted to identify potential historic resource concerns and information needs particular to the Alaska Ranger Boat program, specifically, the Sitka Ranger and Tongass Ranger. This research consisted of a review of holdings of historical records held by the National Archives and Records Administration regional branches in Anchorage, Alaska, and Seattle, Washington. Information on records held by the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska was also ascertained. Internet sources were consulted, particularly the Forest History Society and National Museum of Forest Service History. Finally, pertinent historical reports and documents held at local (Colorado) libraries were collected. Archival and documentary research was conducted in Alaska between July 10 and July 15, 2011. Records were collected from the following offices and records repositories:  National Archives and Records Administration ‒ Anchorage, Alaska  U.S. Forest Service, Chugach National Forest ‒ Anchorage, Alaska  U.S. Forest Service, Tongass National Forest ‒ Ketchikan, Alaska  U.S. Forest Service, Tongass National Forest ‒ Petersburg, Alaska  U.S. Forest Service, Tongass National Forest ‒ Sitka, Alaska  Tongass Historical Society/Museum ‒ Ketchikan, Alaska All available literature that was pertinent and applicable to the resources surveyed was collected and reviewed. This literature included the following types of materials:  U.S. Forest Service inspections and surveys  reports produced in association with historic context studies and histories previously developed for the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska  reports produced in association with a previously conducted cultural resource survey of the Chugach ranger boat  published historical references  historic photographs December 2011 2-1 Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska  relevant boat logs and ranger diaries  media accounts of ranger boats  boat plans  correspondence  forest transportation planning documents 2.2 FIELD RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY The survey team conducted the site visit for the Historic Context and Evaluation of Ranger Boats in Alaska project July 10‒16, 2011. The field team consisted of two cultural resources specialists (see Appendix D). Mr. Chris Baker conducted research in Anchorage. Ms. Jayne Aaron visited each of the three vessels in Ketchikan, Sitka, and Petersburg, collected data, photographed the vessels, and conducted interviews. Informal interviews were conducted with: Ketchikan  Mike Cruise (USFS, Retired Fleet Manager)  Jake Yearty (Captain, Tongass Ranger, retired in July 2011)  John Autry (Tongass National Forest, Cultural Heritage)  Dr. Priscilla Schulte (University of Alaska, Professor of Anthropology) Sitka  Stan Johnson (USFS, Retired Captain, Sitka Ranger)  Richard Guhl (USFS, Retired Captain, Tongass Ranger)  Jack Griffith (USFS, Retired Surveyor)  Roy Mitchell (USFS, Fleet Manager) Petersburg  Mark McCallum (Tongass National Forest, Cultural Heritage)  Mike Lombardo (USFS, Fleet Manager) Anchorage  Paul McIntosh (USFS, retired Public Affairs Officer) Notes from these interviews are included in Appendix C. 2.3 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION CRITERIA The national register was established by the National Historic Preservation Act. The national register is a list of buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts that have demonstrated significance to U.S. 2-2 December 2011