Introduction
The Stikine River Historical Foundation (SRHF) a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Wrangell, Alaska, is dedicated to the "restoration, reconstruction, reactivation, replication and protection of artifacts, structures or documents relevant to the human and natural history of the Stikine River in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, Canada." SRHF believes that the best way to insure the continued existence of historically significant vessels and structures is to restore and activate them. Any net profits from said activation will be used to further the purposes of the foundation or similarly structured organizations.

The first and perhaps most important project for the SRHF is the restoration and reactivation of the historic sixty-five foot, wooden-hulled riverboat, "Judith Ann". Other future restoration and replication projects of the SRHF include: a Stern Wheeler, a Bristol Bay sail troller; a fifty-foot Native Tlingit cedar canoe (similar to the canoes that were used by the Tlingit nation to implement trade with the upper Stikine River Taltans) and a large square-rigged sailing freighter like those used to transport supplies to Skagway during the Gold Rushes of the late 1800's. In addition, SRHF would like to establish a "Marine Park" to house and display these and other historic vessels.

 

"Judith Ann" was constructed in 1950 at the Campbell-House shipyard in Wrangell, Alaska. She was taken out of service in 1970 and is in disrepair, but salvageable. "Judith Ann" is the last remaining wooden-hulled riverboat to have navigated the Stikine River and is eligible for National Historic status.

The natural beauty and historic character of the Wrangell area provide the ideal setting for the restoration and reactivation of " Judith Ann". The restored riverboat will be a genuine "time machine" to transport passengers up the Stikine River and into the past, while providing a first-rate exploration of riparian, marine and rain forest wilderness. Pristine wilderness such as exists throughout the length of the Stikine River is also rapidly becoming a thing of the past. "Judith Ann" will take you there.

A Brief Description of the Wrangell, Alaska Region and its History 
Wrangell's history is complex, dramatic, and unique. It is rooted in the water, timber, flora, fauna, geological and cultural phenomena that have supported diverse human and non-human habitation throughout time.

The City of Wrangell, population 2,369, is located on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, along the renowned Inside Passage, 155 miles south of Juneau and 89 miles northwest of Ketchikan. It is near the mouth of the Stikine River, an historic trade route to the Canadian Interior. Wrangell is in the maritime climatic zone and experiences cool summers, mild winters, and year-round rainfall. Summer temperatures typically range from 42 to 64; winter temperatures range from 21 to 44. Average annual precipitation is 82 inches, including 64 inches of snowfall. 

(A large Stikine Indian village known as Kotzlitzna was located 20 miles south of the fort.) The Tlingits claimed ancient trade rights to the Stikine River, and protested when the Hudson Bay Company began to use their trade routes.

But two epidemics of smallpox, in 1836 and 1840, reduced the Tlingit population by half. The fort was abandoned in 1849 when furs were depleted. The fort remained under the British flag until Alaska's purchase by the U.S. in 1867. In 1868, a U.S. military post called Fort Wrangell was established, named for the Island.

The community of Wrangell grew rapidly as an outfitter for gold prospectors in 1861, 1874-77, and in 1897. Riotous activity filled gambling halls, dance halls, and the streets. Thousands of miners traveled up the Stikine River into the Cassiar District of British Columbia during 1874, and again to the Klondike in 1897. There were many gold discoveries along the river that can still be pointed out today, and will be part of the Judith Ann history and pleasure tours.

A short ways down the Stikine River from the site of a former Taltan Native village is "Telegraph Creek". Remnants of cable and equipment from the early 20th century can still be seen here. Telegraph Creek gets its name from the communication cable that was planned (and partially implemented) to connect the North American continent with Europe, across the Bering Straits. The project was cancelled upon completion of the Trans-Atlantic Cable, but not before supplies and material had been brought into the area. "Judith Ann" will voyage up the Stikine River to Telegraph Creek and return to Wrangell at least once a month during the Stikine River's navigable season.  This is an exciting trip lasting approximately six days.

Description of the Judith Ann Many types of riverboats have plied the waters of the Stikine River since the days when Tlingit Natives used paddles and sails on fifty-foot cedar canoes: stern-wheelers, side-wheelers, diesel-powered vessels with tunnels and even multiple outboards crowded the Stikine. At one time there were as many as seventeen large vessels on the river at the same time, requiring traffic police to control the congestion.

The Judith Ann is a sixty-five foot, twin-diesel powered, tunnel-configured wooden vessel. Her flat-bottomed hull allows her to sit down on suitably flat intertidal areas. She draws 14" which enables her to enter very shallow lagoons and sloughs. After restoration to her original, authentic splendor, the Judith Ann will once again provide passengers with excellent food, lodging, bathroom facilities, walk-around spaces inside and outside, a main lounge with large view windows and a fireplace. The top deck provides a roomy walk-around outside, with deck chairs for enjoying the panoramic views. In her restored condition, with comfortable staterooms, excellent Alaskan cuisine and local guides, the Judith Ann will offer passengers a gratifying journey into beauty, past and present.

Restoration Plan and Schedules
This web-site, http://stikineriverhistorical.org, will contain running commentary on the activities on and around Judith Ann, beginning with text and images detailing her pre-construction condition, and appeals for volunteer and financial support. As reconstruction commences and proceeds, there will be weekly updates on the web site explaining the reconstruction progress through photographs, drawings and text. The web site will also include notes on the history of Judith Ann, the Stikine River and other riverboats. At the completion of reconstruction and with activation of the vessel, the web site emphasis will shift to chronicles of the first and subsequent trips up the river, perhaps even with a live web-cam. However, the web site will never abandon history. There are many fascinating true stories and legends about the Stikine River drainage, Telegraph Creek, Glenora and Wrangell that lend themselves well to a web site presentation of interest to many people around the world.

The Judith Ann project is unusually blessed by the fact that many people associated with her history are living in the area and willing to assist in her resurrection. Restoration will be guided by the following people: Robert Seimers, who piloted the Judith Ann when she was active on the river; Susan Richie, niece of Judith Ann Richie for whom the boat was named; Leonard Campbell, who with his partner Don House owned the Campbell-House company that built the Judith Ann; Jim Rhodes who assisted in the original construction of Judith Ann (he designed and installed the tunnels); Betty Wigg, who cooked aboard Judith Ann and several other river vessels for sixteen years; and Edwin Calbreath, who piloted the Judith Ann between Wrangell  and Telegraph Creek for the last ten years she was active on the river.

The first stage of restoration involves the transport of the Judith Ann from her present location (on a grid located 12.5 miles south of Wrangell) to the boat shop in Wrangell. To accomplish this, the plan is to close up the gaps in planking with sheets of plywood and then wrap the hull in two canvas tarps. The single seam will be sealed by rolling the overlap and securing the roll to the hull with lathe. She will be towed to Wrangell, with pumps to ensure her safety, and placed on the ways of the boat shop where work will begin. 

After complete restoration, Judith Ann will once again transport passengers on tours of the scenic Stikine River. Other exciting trips within fifty miles of Judith Ann's homeport of Wrangell can be arranged. Scheduling will be flexible. It is expected that two- and three-day trips will be most popular. The trip to Telegraph Creek and return (six days) will be scheduled once a month from May to September.

 
The SRHF will invite riverboat and other historians for Judith Ann's first return voyage up the river. Hopefully Edwin Calbreath and/or John Ellis will be aboard, and a travel writer or journalist will be invited to record this historic event.

Need and Significance of this Project for Wrangell
The economy in Wrangell has suffered some severe setbacks in recent years, and needs all the help it can get. The closing of the Alaska Pulp Co. sawmill in 1994 forced 225 mill workers and loggers into unemployment. The mill employed over 20% of the population and supported 30% of the local economic base.

Before the mill closure, Wrangell had a steady population of 3,200 people and a stable economy based on commercial fishing and timber from the Tongass National Forest. Many families left town after the mill's closure, looking for work elsewhere. Local businesses suffered and several closed. Wrangell is still recovering from this blow to the economy and currently has an unemployment rate of 10.9% in a population of 2,369 (Mar. 2011, DECD).

To counteract the economic slump resulting from the mill closure, the City of Wrangell has begun a concerted effort to stimulate and create a strong tourist industry. Approximately 30 cruise ships dock in Wrangell each season on their voyages up and down the famous Inside Passage. These cruises bring an estimated 120,000 tourists seasonally, but with limited contribution to the local economy as the stops are brief. Most cruise ship tourists (or Alaska Marine Highway ferry passengers) take a short walk down Main Street and then return to their ships. Some independent tourists are attracted by Stikine Wilderness Adventures; Alaska Waters and other day-tour operations that are locally owned businesses. The ongoing projects of the Stikine River Historical Foundation, beginning with restoration and reactivation of the Judith Ann in the Wrangell Harbor, will enhance the economic situation in Wrangell, providing unique wilderness, pleasure and historical experiences for Alaska's tourists. 

Cost/Benefit Ratio and Financial Benefits
Estimated costs for restoration total $484,571. After restoration, the Judith Ann can be active for 150 days each season. Operational expenses for the first two seasons will be approximately $167,600.  With each passenger paying $400 per day, and twelve passengers aboard, there is a maximum gross potential of $720,000 per season. Supplies and labor will be contracted locally, and the operation will contribute an estimated 75% of its gross ($540,000) to the local economy each season. The Judith Ann project and the SRHF will directly create two seasonal jobs (April to October) and three year-round jobs. All positions will be filled locally.

The Judith Ann will be available for group charters and for regularly scheduled trips on the Stikine River and other exciting places within a fifty mile radius of Wrangell. Return visits and word-of-mouth advertising are confidently anticipated. 

Marketing the Judith Ann
Preliminary market research has identified several special interest groups as potential passengers on the Judith Ann, including bird watchers, photographers, artists, wilderness enthusiasts, history buffs, riverboat historians, and sightseers from around the world. For any of the above groups or individuals, a few days or a week on the Stikine or elsewhere in the Wrangell area will provide an unequaled natural and historic experience.

The Stikine River is one of the very few wild and pristine navigable rivers remaining on the North American continent. The Southeast Alaska rain forest ecosystem is home to bald eagles, killer whales, porpoise, seals, sea lions, mountain goats (high on the sides of towering mountains that surround and frame the river) and many other species sharing a healthy environment-all within viewing range from the decks and main lounge of the Judith Ann. There is no more comfortable way to see and enjoy all of this beauty than from the elegant old Judith Ann.

One of the primary tools for marketing is the Internet's World Wide Web. In addition to the SRHF web site (featuring Judith Ann), other Internet venues can be linked to expand web access, information, audiences, potential visitors and donors to the project. Other means of publicizing the Judith Ann will include magazine and newspaper ads and articles, brochures, radio and TV interviews or documentaries. The market for Judith Ann extends beyond the United States, to Canada, Australia, England, Japan, Germany and other Asian and European markets. In September 2012, an advertisement for the Judith Ann project will appear in the Alaska State Vacation Planner, a publication of the Cooperative Marketing Program sponsored jointly by the State and the Alaska Visitor's Association, reaching approximately 450,000 people every year. Alaska Magazine has expressed interest in doing a story in conjunction with a long-term advertisement agreement. Other agreements are in progress with foreign magazines, travel agencies, chambers of commerce and historical journals, magazines and organizations.
Other local and complementary attractions include golfing, air tours, fishing, small watercraft charters, gift shops featuring Alaskan art and artifacts, the museum, the petroglyphs site and the Tlingit Community House and Native Park. 

Competition
There is no competition on the Stikine River for Judith Ann's offer of historic, luxury voyages of several days' duration, with excellent food and lodging. At present, the only other river trips available are jet boats that operate at high speeds to The Great Glacier, Telegraph Creek, other shorter runs and return. The Judith Ann will provide food, lodging, showers and toilet facilities, on a historic vessel with walk-around space, lounge with fireplace and top deck with chairs.

Conclusion
In remote, beautiful places like Wrangell, Alaska, the local residents often take for granted the very features of their home place that are objects of longing and desire for many other people. Recent economic conditions in Wrangell have helped inspire its residents to invite strangers to visit and enjoy what they have, without compromising those treasures. The Judith Ann is a vessel for dreams-of the past, present and future. The Stikine River Historical Foundation is confident that the Judith Ann, and its other marine restoration projects, are icons of a time that has not passed, will never pass, in the human imagination. The mystique of a ship on the water, powered by human skill and simple technology, is a fundamental, archetypal symbol of the human spirit that may be more important now than ever before. We hope to share the humble charm of Judith Ann with the many people in our world who hunger for simplicity, elegance without pretension, and an accessible means for "time-travel."

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