Seward Mariners' Memorial

Normally a bustling summertime destination, the onset of winter puts the harbor and town into a state of near suspended animation.  Snow on the mountains bordering the glacially carved Resurrection Bay on three sides seems to freeze traffic in and out of port.   

A lonely fishing vessel, head to a stiff north wind, approaches the entrance to Seward’s small boat harbor. The bright sunlight does little to temper the bone-chilling cold that sweeps the crewmember on deck.  He spies a grey and white lighthouse-like structure standing on the townside bank of the channel.  While it marks the last point of solitude before entering the harbor, the structure’s purpose is a mystery.   From seaward nothing but design hints at its function.  Perhaps a stylized daymark or some other aid to navigation?   But, no flashing beacon emanates from its peak and it lacks the traditional appearance of a hazard marker.  

The boat passes the tower leaving it astern as she exits the channel into the harbor.  Empty slips indicate the many vessels that have hauled out or fled with the shortening of each day’s light. Plastic cocoons some that remain against the elements until spring.  Others just seem to hunker down in aquatic hibernation.

The structure is a type of marker.  It serves as a reminder that the sea can be an unforgiving place.  The low metallic wall declares that one is entering the Seward Mariners’ Memorial. 
I discovered the site about four years ago.  I had seen it on trips in and out of the harbor for years, but really did not give it much attention.  That changed when I visited the site on a quiet winter's day.  It is a wonderful place for solitude and reflection with breathtaking views of the panorama of Resurrection Bay.  I make it a habit to visit the site on my overnight trips to Seward to work as a volunteer exhibits diver at the Alaska Sea Life Center.  During the summer, the Memorial offers a respite from the vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the harbor area.


The site honors the memory of Seward mariners who have lost their lives as sea or who have contributed to the local seafaring history and maritime industry.   And what a colorful history it is.

As the Memorial’s information brochure explains, “since its founding in 1903 as a railroad terminus, Seward’s maritime industry has become a sustaining force in the community.  Seward is a small town.  When word comes that a boat is in trouble or has gone down, locals hold their breath.”  It turns out, history shows, they also rally to respond and provide aid and assistance.  

One wall of the sanctuary features 10 historic plaques each“honoring individuals long departed from Seward’s shores.”  Examining the plaques begs the question “what is the story behind two side-by-side plaques commemorating an incident involving the US Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship Surveyor on October 4, 1927.  The plaques contain only the barest of detail, one memorializes two of the victims who drown when their skiff sank; the other the sailor who lost his life attempting their rescue.  Another makes one wonder what happened in February 1946 when 11 souls were lost aboard the Yukon at Johnston Bay in the Gulf of Alaska?  Visitors to town are likely to know more about the Yukon as an old waterfront bar rather than as a vessel associated with the history of the town and Alaska.  These are but three of the many plaques that hint at a story. 


On my most recent trip to Seward In November 2018, I started to investigate some of the details behind the incidents memorialized on the plaques.  I discovered wonderful archival collection and helpful staff at the Seward Museum and Library.  I will begin to retell the stories behind the incident in the entries to this blog in the next few months.