Another Version Of How The Cove Was Named

Al Lagergren was a carpenter at the Tenakee Fisheries Cannery in 1918. In the fall of 1919 he applied for and was issued a homesite permit to locate a cabin in a cove about a mile east of the cannery.

In 1931 the Forest Service renewed Lagergren's special use permit as "a 4 acre homesite at Coffee Cove". The name soon appeared on maps and charts, and for good reason. The cove was named for Al in honor of the huge amounts of coffee he drank, although after suffering a mild stroke in the mid-1940's he only drank Sanka.

(As told to us by Bob Pegues who is researching the history of the canneries in Tenakee Inlet.)

How Coffee Cove Got It's Name

Sometime in the early 1900's, Alfred Lagergren stumbled upon a cove about six miles east of the town of Tenakee Springs, Alaska. The cove was about 600 feet wide at the base and had a flat beach in the front that extended close to 1/4 mile when the tide was low. But the best feature, as far as Al was concerned, was the crystal clear creek that ran through the middle of the cove. He had worked hard all his life mining and was ready for a little wilderness living where he could set up his still and make some quality hooch, and the clear water of the cove was just what he needed to get started.

He filed for a homesite with the land office in Anchorage and proceeded to build a one room log cabin on the property. His little spot was 4.54 acres at the base of the cove, extending about 300' back into the woods. In April, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the patent that deeded the land to Alfred Lagergren. In the patent, the property is referred to as "Coffee Cove".

During the late 20's and early 30's he did a fair business as the miners would come to Tenakee Springs during the cold winter months to enjoy the hot springs. Much of their hooch was supplied by Lagergren. A young girl who was traveling with her father by boat, prospecting around Southeast Alaska was curious as to why they were stopping at the cove. She asked her father as they were dropping the pick in front of the place and he said, "I'm going in to coffee up with old Al. You stay on the boat." She noticed he came back to the ship carrying some jugs which she later found out was some quality moonshine. Her father and other miners referred to the cove as "Coffee Cove" because they would stop and have "coffee" with Al.

In October, 1954, this same woman would purchase Coffee Cove from Al's wife for $400. Al had passed away during the previous winter and was found frozen in his cabin by a couple of local trappers who stopped in to have coffee with him.

In 1974, we purchased the cove and began clearing and building our cabin.

(As told to us by Gladys Seeds, previous owner and prospector in Tenakee Inlet.)

Friends and Food

We woke to the sound of seiners humming as they spread their nets around the inlet. At about 8 am we headed to the Yurt to visit our friends, Bob and Judy (and their beautiful black dog, LucyLu). The Yurt is on a float in the next cove. After a fabulous Yurt breakfast (bacon, hash browns, cheesy scrambled eggs, gravy and toast), Jerry pulled the crab pot, which was plugged with fat dungeness crab. We kept 14, gave 6 to Bob and Judy and threw back 15 more!

The canner is humming away on the stove. We've spent the afternoon shaking and processing the crab which is now in 24 cans being cooked.

The weather has been mild and cloudy, but there's been no rain today (yet). A light westerly breeze has been blowing most of the day.

Mellow Morning at the Cove

Quiet day at the cove. Watched whales on the other side of the inlet breaching and slapping the water with their flukes. Seiners are cruising back and forth, scouting for fish. Overcast and calm, but warm. Enjoyed a long, relaxing hot tub. Life is good.

A view of the cabin at Coffee Cove

Started in 1975, the cabin is an ongoing (and never-ending) work in progress. Built on a heavily wooded 4.54 acre plot eight miles east of Tenakee Springs, Alaska, the cabin provides an excellent place for viewing wildlife and marine activity in Tenakee Inlet.