525 INDIANS LOOKING FOR PERATROVICH-PETOVICH-PARETOVICH

By Adam S. Eterovich

John-Giovanni Peratrovich, Petovich, Petricevich, Paretovich, Patovich, Petrovich came to California in the 1860’s from Dalmatia. He married an Indian Princess in Alaska and became wealthy fishing.

Added, at a later date, to his Death Certificate is “Sein” Austria. This could be Sinj, Senj or Lesina (Hvar). Being an expert net maker and fisherman, he would have been from an island or the coast of Dalmatia, not inland. On the Island of Hvar, the name of Paretovich is found. He was associated with Barhanovich, Markovich, Petrovich and Valensolo (a Clan name?) These names can be found on the Island of Brac.

He has over 525 direct descendants. It is believed he had 29 children and three wives. He was born December 26, 1851 or 1861. December 13, 1915 is given as his date of death. He is buried in Klawock cemetery on Peratrovich Island.

I have been in contact with Indian descendants and they would like to know his exact birthplace. Can anyone out there help? We would like a birth certificate. Can someone ask the priests in Sinj, Senj, Hvar or Brac to look for this man. A few American-Alaskan Indians would like to know.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

ON

JOHN PERATROVICH

KLAWOCK, ALASKA.

John Peratrovich was born in Dalmatia, Croatia along the shores of the Adriatic Sea. There is a record in early San Francisco annals that indicates many fishermen came to the San Francisco Bay area; indeed there was a Croatian Society listed in the 1857 City Directory. With consideration of this background, it is not surprising that John Peratrovich ended up in the United States.

In the "Urban News" August 1, 1972 (a publication in Anchorage Alaska) written in recognition of his son, Robert J. Peratrovich, Sr. notes the following:

John Peratrovich, as a 16 year old Croatian, ran away to sea and eventually landed in San Francisco at a time when there was a great demand for crews for whaling and sealing ships. He was shipwrecked off the Seal Islands, rescued by Eskimos, spent 4 months there, then came by Russian Revenue Cutter south to Sitka, Alaska. Then a canoe trip to Victoria, Canada, stopping at native village of Klawock. There he decided to stay and make it his home, working as a skilled net maker in the only salmon cannery operating. He married a very beautiful Tlingit Indian Princess.

Another story told by Tony Markovich of Ketchikan to Ruby Peratrovich (grandaughter-in-law of John) was that John left Dalmatia, at age 14 to escape the cruel treatment he received at the hands of his stepfather. He was left beaten on the dock at Dubrovnik and was taken aboard a windjammer as a stowaway. When eventually he landed in California, he worked as net hanger in a cannery. He was sent up to the first cannery in Klawock because of his expertise. He was supposed to have a brother Tony who lived in SeattIe but they had no communication with each other.

His daughter, Josie Smith, recalled her father telling of a sailing accident which claimed the lives of his parents before he left for his adventures, while another granddaughter was told by her mother that he came with his parents to San Francisco in a fishing vessel, where later his mother died and he ran away from his step-mother by hopping a ship north. He was able to use his net making skills aboard this boat.

It is also said he set out on his adventure from Croatia with Tony Valensolo. As to other immigrants at the same time: You will note names of Tony Markovich, Vincent Baronovich and there is one not mentioned in this story, Carl Valensolo. In fact this man lived in Craig, Alaska, a neighboring village and is said to have come with John Peratrovich. His son, Carl, attended Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon along with Peratrovich children. Name spelling changes are referred to. According to Indian customs, the first 4 boys had the name and an Eagle tatooed on their arms. One was reportedly spelled "Petovitch". You will note the 1900 census has "Paratovich". By 1910, the spelling was "Peratrovich" and this appears, too, on the death certificate. One of the daughters, Agnes, is said to have put in the R after the first T .

John was married to a native woman much older than he was, but that was a typical custom amongst the Tlingit tribe. She had been married previously and had one son and two daughters that must have been teenagers. She bore him 4 sons. It is said that he was the principal person in the first salmon cannery in Klawock and a picture of him and his wife and two children appears on the label of "Family Brands" salmon; it must be noted, however, that this is during the early 1900's when his second family is started.

It is family legend that the two youngest boys of the first family were taken by their father south. One daughter said they were headed for the old country but he ran out of money in Seattle. Most stories indicate he took them to San Francisco. One daughter said she "sat on the trunk filled with money" that he took on one trip. 'On his first trip out, or an early one at least, his wife was given another husband during his absence which is the reason given for him "marrying" her older daughter with whom he had many more children. At the same time, he was producing two children with another daughter. This means there are almost 3 distinct families at one time. Everyone remembers that he was a good provider, bringing barges of foodstuffs and other goods for all his families ... plenty of "Dago Red Wine" and hefty cheese.

He trained his sons in fishing and net making. He was affiliated with North Pacific Packing and Trading Co. although in records at San Francisco Public Library, his name is not listed with the corporate officers.

We are not sure of the birthplace. Since John Peratrovich married a native Alaskan (Tlingit), I doubt any people really understood his language. The common belief is that he was from the Dalmatian coast. His death certificate lists Austria as his original country and this also appears on the 1900 and 1910 census records which I have for southeastern Alaska. Handwriting presents problems as usual. The birthplace given on the death certificate is "Sein, Austria". The name has been spelled a number of different ways. The early census has "Paratovich", the death certificate has "Peratovich"; one grandson tells me it should be "Giovani Pietrovich" meaning John, son of Peter. One son had "Petovich", tatooed on his arm. (This was common practice among Tlingit Indians ... along with the family totem crest). I have made inquiry for immigration records to no avail ... under any spelling and into California. As far as I have been able to determine, he never became a citizen, either. Since Alaska was a territory, and he died before efforts were made to get natives to take an oath, this, is not surprising.

One grandson remembers his grandfather telling tales of sailing many different places for a long time before he got to San Francisco. He also relates that his grandfather told of hunting seals in northern Alaska in the company of his brother "Willard". This grandson, David Willard Peratrovich, bears this name. The brother never came to Klawock but returned to the old country. When John settled in Klawock, he chose the best hunters in the village to go north on sealing expeditions and it appears these sealskins were sold along with the fish canned in Klawock in various San Francisco outlets. David remembers that his grandfather was affiliated with various business entities before the North Pacific Packing and Trading Company: starting with a venture with George Hamilton in the first salteries, located in the most abundant salmon producing creek areas.

Roy Peratrovich, a son, disputes the story of sealing and whaling experiences and believes his father was sent to Klawock by the canning companies. He says his father had stock in the canning company, apparently lost or stolen after his death.

Customs House records mention George Hamilton and Vincent Baronovich as being engaged in salmon fishing by 1867, but establishment of the first salmon cannery in Klawock has been documented as being 1868. (Bancroft 602). This became the property of Sisson, Wallace and Co. and then incorporated as the North Pacific Packing and Trading Co. in 1877. John Peratrovich could have been sent up by the canning company and engaged in fishing with the other early white settlers in Southeast Alaska. It is also possible for him to have gone sealing during that early period.

It is not known at what age John embarked on this portion of his life, there being no immigration records found in our research, but he was probably close to 20 years old or thereabouts when he took up life in the Alaskan village. He probably joined in the fishing venture with enthusiasm and adapted to the native communal life with a sense of adventure. There are four sons who bear the Peratrovich name with a native mother, descendant of the earliest settlers there. There are 3 sons and 11 daughters from two subsequent unions. It may be assumed that the mothers of these children were primarily responsible for their nurture but is the influence of John's culture is evident in their education and training. The history of the children's accomplishments is detailed in later pages of this document.

John brought his fishing and net-making skills to Alaska. As mentioned previously, there was quite a colony of Croatian fishermen in the San Francisco Bay Area so he was not without friends there. He made trips between the two localities on business, and at one time apparently took two of his sons with him. There is an interesting notation in the San Francisco City Directory of 1901 of a "Petrovich Canning Co." that was still listed in 1905. There was also a "Nick Petrovich" listed. So far it is not known if these listings were for this particular family or not, but it does tell us that there were others of his nationality active in fishing during that period. On the 1900 Census, his "Home Address"is given as San Francisco, California, this leads us to the conclusion that he perhaps felt as much at home there as in Klawock ... much as fishermen do today that live in Seattle or the Pacific Northwest and fish Alaska during the season.

In due time, he constructed a large house in which everyone lived until their own houses were built after marriage. And the houses were all close together. He became a charter member of the Order of Moose in Craig, Alaska. His name appears on their charter roll, spelled differently. In fact, the name spelling appears in many different forms in various records: Petovich, Paratovich, Peratovich, and ultimately Peratrovich.

John was a short man, with swarthy complexion and generally wore a mustache. His earliest picture still intact is that of him with his first two daughters and their mother which appeared on the "Family Brands Salmon" around 1900. When one of these girls died in 1901, the label was retired. We are grateful for the wonderful picture of John and most of his family taken before his untimely death in the winter of 1915. His boat had capsized going between the cannery and Klawock village, and although he was rescued succumbed to kidney disease as a result of exposure,

Adam S. Eterovich