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Emily Mueller
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Emily Mueller was an intern with the <NN> Cannery History Project during 2018 while she was a senior at Western Washington University. She produced transcripts for the project and joined in some of the oral history interviewing.
As Transcriber
Interview Title | Archive #: Oral History | Project | Abstract | Transcriber |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nick Mavar | 2018-13-03 | NN Cannery History |
Nick Mavar was interviewed on August 9, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Anacortes, Washington. In this interview, Nick talks about his career as a commercial fisherman in Bristol Bay, Alaska. He discusses fishing for canneries versus being an independent fisherman, what it was like living in a cannery bunkhouse and eating at their mess hall, how changes in processing techniques drove changes in fishing equipment, and how fishermen fought for and negotiated over the price of the fish harvested. |
Emily Mueller |
Mary Brown | 2018-13-01 | NN Cannery History |
Mary Brown was interviewed on June 11, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at the Bristol Bay Historical Society’s museum in Naknek, Alaska. In this interview, Mary talks about her experience working in various Alaska canneries starting in 1976, and most specifically about working at the <NN> Cannery at South Naknek, Alaska. She talks about the different types of jobs she did, including on the slime line, in the Egg House, in the office and the laundry, different types of workers and how they got along with each other, and segregation among the work force. She describes the cannery, including the mess hall, the bunkhouses, and the hospital. She also discusses the system of mail delivery, work hours, the local fishermen, the economics of the fishery and fish prices, and the shift in ownership from Alaska Packers Association (APA) to Trident Seafoods. |
Emily Mueller |
Wayne Matta | 2018-13-05 | NN Cannery History |
Wayne Matta was interviewed on August 10, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Maple Valley, Washington. In this interview, Wayne talks about his work as a maintenance machinist with Alaska Can Company and as a serviceman with Alaska General Seafoods (AGS) traveling to canneries around Alaska to repair their canning equipment and machinery. Wayne describes the process of making cans and canning salmon, including discussion of what each piece of machinery is used for. He clearly has a keen interest in the inner workings of the equipment, enjoyed the opportunity to travel to various canneries around Alaska, particularly Ketchikan, Kodiak Island, and Bristol Bay, and he liked the people he worked with. Wayne offers a rare insight into an aspect of the salmon canning industry that is rarely discussed, the importance of keeping the equipment well maintained and fully operational. |
Emily Mueller |
Oscar Penaranda | 2018-13-06 | NN Cannery History |
Oscar Penaranda was interviewed on August 11, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham in San Francisco, California. Due to unforseen circumstances, this interview was conducted in a busy hotel lobby, so there is significant background noise. We have tried to reduce this noise by using audio editing software, but with limited success. Nevertheless, we have chosen to include this interview in the <NN> Cannery History Project Jukebox, because we believe it is important that Oscar's stories are heard. They provide insight into the Filipino cannery experience, a little known aspect of Alaska history, and touch on issues of labor, race, and the history of work. In this interview, Oscar talks about his experience working at the <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska and what it was like for Filipino and Filipino-American workers. He discusses getting the job, his impressions of Alaska, the different types of work performed, and the relationship between Filipino, Alaska Native and caucasian employees and between the employees and the cannery administration and the union. He also talks about segregation of the mess halls and bunkhouses, and how the men played gambling games as a form of entertainment. |
Emily Mueller |
Gary Johnson | 2018-13-07 | NN Cannery History |
Gary Johnson was interviewed on October 8, 2018 by Robert W. (Bob) King in the home of Gary's daughter, Katie Ringsmuth, in Eagle River, Alaska. LaRece Egli was also present during the interview operating the audio recorder and she asks a few questions at the end. In this interview, Gary talks about his work with Alaska Packers Association canneries in Alaska and serving as superintendent at the <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska. Gary discusses his job duties as superintendent, how he kept the facility operational, and good relastionships he maintained with employees, quality control inspectors, fishermen, government regulators, other canneries, and the local residents of South Naknek. He emphasizes the importance of the local spring/fall crews in maintaining the infrastructure and opening and closing all the facilities each season, and how much he enjoyed spending time with the community. He also discusses segregation of mess halls, disputes over the price of fish, and other challenges of the job, as well as why he found the work so rewarding. Gary feels a deep connection with the <NN> Cannery and the people he worked with. |
Emily Mueller |
Shirley and Carvel Zimin, Jr. | 2018-13-09 | NN Cannery History |
Shirley and Carvel Zimin, Jr.were interviewed on December 10, 2018 by LaRece Egli at their daughter's home in Anchorage, Alaska. Their grandsons, Sam and Liam Stewert were also present during the interview, along with a brief appearance by their son-in-law, Sam Stewert, Sr. In this interview, Carvel and Shirley discuss their connections to the Alaska Packers Association <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska. Carvel discusses his long family ties to the company, and his most recent job as winter watchman, and Shirley talks about working at the cannery laundry, living in Naknek, and memories of playing around the buildings as a child. They both discuss the important role the cannery has played in the community. Sam Stewert shares his memory of the cannery, regarding radio communication and people setting up radio antennas from the outdoor clotheslines. At the end of the interview, Carvel and Shirley look at historic photographs from the Alaska Packers Association collection from the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraies Heritage Resources, Western Washington University that LaRece has on her laptop computer. This instigates discussion of specific buildings and activities at the cannery. |
Emily Mueller |
Trefon Angasan, Jr. | 2018-13-10 | NN Cannery History |
Trefon Angsan, Jr. was interviewed on December 13, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Alaska Peninsula Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. LaRece Egli was also present operating the digital audio recorder, and Trefon's son, Brad Angasan, also sat in to listen to his father's stories. The interview starts abruptly because Trefon was so excited to share his stories and memories that he began talking before the recording equipment was set up and the formal interview began. Some initial conversation has been edited from the beginning, in order to keep the discussion within the confines of the actual interview. In this interview, Trefon talks about growing up around the <NN> Cannery, his parents working there, and his time working for the cannery on spring/fall crew and as a fisherman. He openly discusses the preferential treatment given by particular superintendents, the racism that persisted, dealing with segregation, and the relationship between different ethnic groups and the local community and the cannery. He also mentions the importance of the cannery to the community and preserving cannery history. |
Emily Mueller |
Brad Angasan, Part 1 | 2018-13-08_PT.1 | NN Cannery History |
Brad Angasan was interviewed on November 27, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Alaska Peninsula Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. In this first part of a two part interview, Brad talks about his family's cultural and historical connections to the region and to the <NN> Cannery, and the long-term impacts from the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. He shares his childhood memories of the facility, including the smells associated with specific buildings, as well as his own connections to the cannery when he worked there on the spring/fall crew and beach gang. |
Emily Mueller |
Brad Angasan, Part 2 | 2018-13-08_PT.2 | NN Cannery History |
This is the continuation of an interview with Brad Angasan on November 27, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Alaska Peninsula Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Brad talks about local people being hired at the cannery, segregation, and the benefit of working in the cannery's multi-ethnic environment. He also describes some of his experiences as a commercial fisherman and how the fishing industry has changed since his father and grandfather were fishermen. Finally, Brad shares his feelings about how working at the cannery shaped his life, the important role the cannery has played in the community of South Naknek, and why it's important to preserve the history and legacy of the cannery. |
Emily Mueller |
Bob Metivier | 2018-13-02_Pt.1 | NN Cannery History |
Bob Metivier was interviewed on August 8, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Birch Bay, Washington. Bob's wife, Sylvia, also participated in the interview, where she periodically chimed in from the background. The original recording had some audio problems, so it has been manipulated to try to reduce the background noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Bob talks about working for the Alaska Packers Association in Blaine and Semiahmoo, Washington and in South Naknek Alaska. He discusses his job as a shipwright, where he built and repaired boats, and his work as a carpenter foreman, beach gang boss, and outdoor foreman. Bob shares many interesting details about how the boats were built, maintained, repaired, painted and named, and how the cannery facility and buildings were cared for. Part of this interview also focused on Sylvia's experiences working for Alaska Packers Association, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |
Emily Mueller |
Sylvia Metivier | 2018-13-02_PT.2 | NN Cannery History |
Sylvia Metivier was interviewed on August 8, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at her home in Birch Bay, Washington. Sylvia's husband, Bob, also participated in the interview, where he periodically chimed in from the background. The original recording had some audio problems, so it has been manipulated to try to reduce the background noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Sylvia talks about working for the Alaska Packers Association in Blaine, Washington and in South Naknek Alaska. She discusses her job as an accountant, bookkeeper, and office manager, and describes the overall office environment and responsibilities at a cannery. She also shares her memories of the cannery, the people she worked with, interacting with the community, and social activities. Part of this interview also focused on Bob's experiences working for Alaska Packers Association, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |
Emily Mueller |
Harvey Henry | 2018-13-04_PT.1 | NN Cannery History |
Harvey Henry was interviewed on August 9, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Deming, Washington. Harvey's wife, Janet, also participated in the interview, where she periodically chimed in from the background. A fan running in the room where the interview took place created a disruptive background noise on the recording. The original recording has been manipulated to try to reduce this noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Harvey talks about working in canneries in Alaska as a seamer man, a filler man, and a machinist. He describes the process of making cans, filling the cans, cooking the salmon, and palletizing the finished cans, with specific emphasis on the different types of machinery used, and talks about the important role of the machinist in keeping the whole operation running smoothly and efficiently. He also discusses the different types of foreman in the cannery, the influence of the union on the working conditions, and the general living and working conditions in South Naknek. Finally, Harvey shares his experience of seeing a ghost in the cannery. Part of this interview focused on Janet's experiences working in the cannery at South Naknek, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |
Emily Mueller |
Janet Henry | 2018-13-04_PT.2 | NN Cannery History |
Janet Henry was interviewed on August 9, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at her home in Deming, Washington. Janet's husband, Harvey, also participated in the interview, where he periodically chimed in from the background. A fan running in the room where the interview took place created a disruptive background noise on the recording. The original recording has been manipulated to try to reduce this noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Janet talks about working at the cannery in South Naknek in the Egg House, as a waitress in the mess hall, and in the laundry. She describes the work done, people she worked with, and the enjoyment she got from being a waitress. In particular, Janet talks about how appreciative she was that she could have her children close by when she was working, and how much she learned from local people, such as Shirley Zimin, Helvie Anderson, and Jeannie Stewart. Part of this interview focused on Harvey's experiences working in the cannery at South Naknek, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |
Emily Mueller |
As a Person Present at Interview
Interview Title | Archive #: Oral History | Project | Abstract | People Present |
---|---|---|---|---|
Denise Statz | 2018-13-11 | NN Cannery History |
Denise Statz was interviewed on December 17, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Turkey Red Restaurant Store in Palmer, Alaska. LaRece Egli was operating the audio recorder, and student intern, Emily Mueller, was observing the interview. In this interview, Denise Statz talks about growing up in Dillingham, Ekwok and South Naknek around the canneries, and her own experience working in the Egg House and as waitress in the mess hall at the Bumblebee cannery in South Nakenk. Denise feels a deep connection to the Bristol Bay region and the people of the villages, as well as to the diversity of people she worked with at the cannery. Finally, Denise discusses the mutual dependency that existed between the canneries and the local communities. |
LaRece Egli, Emily Mueller |