History of Leask Lakes Area

Leask Cove was a summer fish campe for native Tsimshian families. In the late 1800s, a European/Tsimshian family, the Leask's, started a salmon saltery at Leask Cove and exported the fish to Europe. They built three large and several small stone circular fish traps on the cove. The incoming tide would bring the sockeye into the traps and as the tide went down, the trapped fish were collected, salted and barreled. The salt was purchased from Father Duncan of Metlakatla. Ships anchored in the Upper George Inlet and the barrels of fish would loaded and sailed to Europe.

H.C. Fassett, a map surveyor who spent many months exploring the streams and bays around Revillagigedo Island. He met David J. Leask at this cove and Fassett often stayed with them during the night for company. After he had explored the watershed, he asked if they would mind it being named after them. The family was honored. Because the Leask family had no written deed to the land, (as most Native families did not) they were not able to claim the property*.

1970's The Leask Lakes parcel was transferred from federal to state ownership as Community Expansion Lands.

1989 The Cape Fox Native Corporation proposed a land trade to acquire 2,300 acres within the Leask Lakes property (for a 900-acre timber sale) in exchange for Cape Fox's partially logged White River tract, its road along the White River becoming public; as well as the extended road to be buil leading to Leask Lakes. Alaska's Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) was to retain the remaining 2,900 acres for wildlife and recreation management. Though looked upon favorable by the Borough and State, the land exchange failed. An ad-hoc group of residents submitted a Leask Lakes State Park proposal to the Commissioner of DNR, but this plan also did not succeed.

1994 Hundreds of residents were involved in another coalition which lobbied to keep the tract out of the Alaska Mental Health Trust (AMHT) land selection. The Leask Lakes tract was recognized by the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game as having valuable wildlife habitat and recreational resources in close proximity to Ketchikan. AMHT received the Leask Lakes property despite the community's efforts.

* Ken Decker, resident of Ketchikan