Linda Lindberg
West Side Stories
These oral histories chart the personal stories of individuals with a longtime connection to the west side of Kodiak Island, defined for the scope of this project as the area buffeted by the Shelikof Strait that stretches from Kupreanof Strait south to the village of Karluk. The project endeavored to create historical primary source material for a region that lacks substantive documentation and engage west side individuals in the creation of that material.
Linda Lindberg was interviewed by Anjuli Grantham in Village Islands, Alaska, on June 22, 2015, as part of the Kodiak Historical Society’s West Side Stories project. Linda was born in Vancouver, Washington, in 1943 and moved to Alaska in 1957 when her father found logging work at the Dal Valley Sawmill. She describes life at the logging camp, how she had to stop going to school at a young age, and the impact of alcohol on her father’s employment when she was a child. She describes the challenges of finding employment and stable housing, the people she encountered in the area, and the many jobs she had before running the mail plane. She also touches on the difficulties of living in a remote area, such as dealing with injuries and medical issues, and the problems caused by drugs, alcohol, and violence.
Please Note: The oral histories in this collection are protected by copyright and have been created for educational, research and personal use as described by the Fair Use Doctrine in the U.S. Copyright law. Please reach out Voices@noaa.gov to let us know how these interviews are being used in your research, project, exhibit, etc. The Voices staff can help provide other useful resources related to your inquiry.
The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.
Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.