Mrs. and Mrs. Wm. E. Sullivan and Mr. and Mrs. Harold Backman and Son

The Sullivans were the winter caretakers at the Bureau of Fisheries camp, which was just around the point upriver from PAF Warren. On the way home from a school Christmas party at Naknek School, in 1934, they were lost and went through the river ice. They were traveling by dogsled.

An haunting account of the Sullivan incident appeared in the Anchorage Daily News of 03/24/1934, entitled "Two Meet Tragic End at Naknek." John Branson, in his excellent book Bristol Bay Alaska - From the Hinterlands to Tidewater, includes the clipping and further information.

Pictures of the old Bureau of Fisheries camp as it looks now were shown on February 25, 2004 through February 28th of 2004 on this website.(See February 2004 archives.)

The Backmans were caretakers at PAF Nornek. The child is either Harry Backman, born about 1925, or Donald Backman, born about 1932. The house in the background is Aspelunds' which is still standing in Naknek.

©Photo from the Monsen Family Collection