The point originally had an Eskimo name, "Saguyak," yet there is no evidence of a settlement at the site prior to the Nushagak Packing Company cannery, established in 1888. The community was named for John Clark, who was the manager of the Alaska Commercial Company store at Nushagak. Clark is reputed to have operated a saltery prior to the establishment of the cannery. In 1893 the cannery became a member of the Alaska Packers Association. In 1901 a two-line cannery was built. During World War II the canning operation ceased, and only salting was done at Clark's Point. The plant was shut down permanently by 1952, and the Alaska Packers Association used the facility as the headquarters for its fishing fleet. In 1929, a major flood occurred, and the village has been plagued by severe erosion ever since. A housing project in 1982 was constructed on high and safe ground on the bluff.
To Community Histories Index Alaska DCCED Community Database Online
History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development