Two Kenai Peninsula cabins get listed on historic register

KENAI (AP) -- Two cabins reflecting the Kenai Peninsula's pioneer heritage have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources announced this week.

The Andrew Berg cabin was built in 1902 on the shore of Lake Tustumena. The Harry A. Johnson cabin was built in the 1920s about 15 miles southwest of Hope. Both are now in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

''They represent the hunters and trapping activity that was going on,'' said Judy Bittner, the state historical preservation officer with the department. ''They are modest little things, but that's our history.''

The two cabins also were singled out because of the colorful characters who built them. Berg and Johnson were well known in their days as rugged and talented sourdoughs who carved lives out of wilderness.

Gary Titus, a ranger with a passion for local history, worked on winning the listings.

Titus said he hopes the listing will help prevent the peninsula from losing more of its history. Many other buildings on the peninsula remain at risk.

''I'm trying to preserve those cabins out there. We just lost one last spring,'' he said. ''The cabins -- they don't have much time.''

The two cabins join 27 other Kenai Peninsula buildings or sites on the register, which is administered by the National Park Service.