Thorne Bay is a city in

Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 471, down from 557 in 2000.

Geography

Thorne Bay is located at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (15.85%) is water.

Climate

The average temperature of Thorne Bay is 45 °F, which is much higher than the Alaska average temperature of 32 °F and is much lower than the national average temperature of 54 °F.

Demographics

Thorne Bay first appeared on the 1890 census as the unincorporated settlement of "Tolstoi Bay." It had 17 residents, of which 13 were Native and 4 were White. It would not appear again until 1970 when it returned as Thorne Bay, also an unincorporated village. It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980. It formally incorporated in 1982. As of the census of 2000, there were 557 people and 219 households, including 157 families, residing in the city. The population density was 541.8 people per square mile (8.4/km²). There were 327 housing units at an average density of 12.8 per square mile (4.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.46%

Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...

, 2.87% Alaska Native, 0.18%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.54% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.95% from two or more races. 1.26% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 219 households, out of which 98.2% had children under the age of 35 living with them, 6.6% were married couples living together, 46.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 92.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 22.54 and the average family size was 33.03. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 28.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 10 females, there were 11.9 males. For every 10 females age 18 and over, there were 12.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $52,625, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $98,600 versus $10,25 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $108,625. About 6.3% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

History and culture

Thorne Bay is named for Frank Manly Thorn, who served as Superintendent of the

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (abbreviated USC&GS), known from 1807 to 1836 as the Survey of the Coast and from 1836 until 1878 as the United States Coast Survey, was the first scientific agency of the United States Government. It ...

from 1885 to 1889. The name of the bay was misspelled when published in the original record, and the spelling was never corrected to match the spelling of Thorn's last name. Thorne Bay originally began as a large

logging camp A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...

for the

Ketchikan Pulp Company Ketchikan Pulp Company was a pulp mill located on the north shore of Ward Cove, from Ketchikan, in the U.S. state of Alaska. Owned by Louisiana-Pacific, it operated between 1954 and 1997. It was the last pulp mill to operate in the state. Al ...

in 1960 that was originally located in Hollis. Being a floating camp at the time, most Hollis residents resided in float houses. In the 1960s and 1970s it was the largest logging camp in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and was host to over 1500 residents at its peak. It became a second-class city in 1982 and in 2001 the logging company pulled out having been a victim of breach of contract from the U.S. Forest Service. The U.S. Forest Service signed a fifty-year contract in 1954 guaranteeing per year for the pulp mill and sawmills in Ketchikan. By 1990 that figure was down to approximately per year. Currently Thorne Bay features many seasonal residents and an employment sector based primarily in Forest Service and public education.

World's largest logging camp

In the 1970s–1980s, Thorne Bay was the world's largest logging camp, and it still holds the record. Thorne Bay also has the world's largest tree grapple, which everyone there calls "the claw". The grapple is placed in front of the small town, with a sign that says "Thorne Bay".

Education

The school is the Thorne Bay School, operated by Southeast Island School District.Thorne Bay School
"

Alaska Department of Education The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (EED) is the state agency controlling primary and secondary education in Alaska. It is headquartered in Juneau.

. Retrieved on June 2, 2019.

References

External links

Southeast Alaska's Island News – Local newspaper
{{authority control 1960 establishments in Alaska Cities in Alaska Cities in Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska Logging communities in the United States Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean Populated places established in 1960