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Since time immemorial the Jilkaat Kwaan and Jilkoot Kwaan (Chilkat and Chilkoot people) have used the Khaach Kulnux’ákh’w area for gathering food, especially salmon and eulachon.  Until very recently, the shores at Khaach Kulnux’ákh’w fronted tidewater, and the mouth of the Chilkat River was located much farther inland.  Due to the ongoing effects of isostatic rebound, the land surface at Jones Point is rising at a rate of roughly one foot per decade relative to sea level, and today, the shallow channels of the Chilkat River delta flow past Jones Point, and water deep enough to float even a sea-going Tlingit canoe is far downstream.

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Deeper Water

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At the turn of 20th century the there was deeper water water here at Jones point, and goods were offloaded from ships and barges for transport to mining settlements up river. There were also fish buyers, canneries, and other infrastructure located at the Point. There were several houses and a bakery that operated until 1939.

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Lumber

In 1939 Jones Point was purchased by the Schnabel family.  They operated one of the valley’s first large-scale lumber mills. The mill produced firewood, railroad ties, and rough-milled cants that were shipped overseas.  The mill operated until it burned in 1961.  In 1965 the point was bought by Alaska Forest Products. The company operated a mill here until it closed in 1976.  The property was then owned by Klukwan Inc. until 2015.

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Takshanuk Watershed Council

The Takshanuk Watershed Council acquired the 50-acre property in 2015 through a partnership with The Conservation Fund.  The goal is to make Khaach Kulnux’ákh’w a hub for community recreation, education and research.

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