Above: The bay of Ouzinkie, Alaska from the copilot's seat of a Kodiak Airways Widgeon in the early 1960’s, with the Ouzinkie Packing Corp. cannery straight ahead. The cannery and most of the visible buildings were destroyed in the Earthquake and Tidal Wave of 1964.
Ouzinkie, My Home — From 1953 to 1957, our family lived in Larsen Bay, at the opposite end of the Kodiak Island archipelago. This article is about my eighteen years in Ouzinkie, from 1958 to 1976 (age 5 to age 23).
One of the most widely-
Right: the aftermath of the Tidal Wave (tsunami) of 3/27/1964
Right: The “Church Hill” in Ouzinkie, taken in the early 1940’s. (Courtesy of the KBM collection)
Photo Gallery of Old Ouzinkie in the 40’s and the Untold Story of the 4th Mission
— Two old articles combined in 2020 with all restored photos and new stories, including
unpublished photos of Father Gerasim and much more! Based on two scrapbooks of photos
and letters from the mid-
Ouzinkie Index Page
By Timothy Smith, latest revision in March, 2020
Ouzinkie Index Page
A Series of Articles About the Village of Ouzinkie, Alaska
From the 1940’s to the mid-
Above: The village of Ouzinkie, harbor view, around 1958 when we moved there. The Evangel is apparently tied to the fish elevator.
The Evangel Mission Boat visits Ouzinkie in the 1950’s —A glimpse of village life before the Tidal Wave, and while Baker Cottage was a children’s home.
The Alaska Steamship SS Cordova, featured in “How to get to Ouzinkie in the 1940’s” (Shown here tied up at the Grimes Packing Company dock in Ouzinkie, around 1946). This article uses company brochures and a journal of a passenger traveling to Ouzinkie in late 1945.
Left: an Alaska Steamship Company publicity photo of the SS Cordova.
My grade school years, from 1959 to 1967, in Ouzinkie Grade School.
Left: a game of soccer in the school playground, 1966
Above Left: The author, Timothy Smith, in the summer of 1974 at Otherside Beach (colorized photo) and Above Right: in 2004, taken from the hill overlooking Ouzinkie harbor. Timothy Smith lived in Ouzinkie from 1958 to 1976, with revisits from 1996 to 2007.
1960 to 1974: Ouzinkie Photo Album: Wonderful PEOPLE
1960 to 1974: Ouzinkie Photo Album: LIFE
The Art of Island Conversation — Featuring Jenny Chernikoff, Ed Opheim, and other Kodiak Island area residents, with new photos and layout in 2020.
What Would I Do? — A children's story with original watercolor artwork and text by Timothy Smith, based on growing up in Ouzinkie, Alaska. Written for a college class project in 1974. With author’s commentary.
The logo link above takes you to a downloadable version of my new novel, about a fictional village on an island in Marmot Bay, based heavily on the experiences of my childhood in Ouzinkie. My purpose was to share what village life was like in the days before fiber, phones, and ferry service.
Set in the school year of 1963-
As a reader who was also raised in the village commented, “You’ve really captured the flavor of village life.” I certainly hope so!
Below: Two Articles and a New Novel
Based On Or Inspired By Ouzinkie
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Information from this site can be used for non-
Right: Mission Boat Evangel at its mooring in Ouzinkie Harbor, 1962. Ouzinkie was its home port for seven years.
Far Right: the Baptist Mission “Baker Cottage” in 1958, when we moved there.
A Rev. Norman and Joyce Smith Family Album, the Smith Family in Ouzinkie, 1958-