JOSEPH ARTHUR KURTZ, “Joe” 93, died August 29, 2003 at Providence Alaska Medical Center of natural causes. A graveside service was held at Seldovia Cemetery. Mr. Kurtz was born October 31, 1909 in Monico, Wisconsin to Joseph and Ella Orth Kurtz. He completed high school. Mr. Kurtz began living in Alaska in the late 30’s and was a resident of Seldovia and Anchorage. He was an avid reader. Mr. Kurtz was a trapper and a miner. His family wrote: “Upon reading Jack London’s book: The Call of the Wild, Mr. Kurtz was inspired to venture to Alaska. Arriving in the late 30’s, Joe initially worked at Lucky Shot Mine. He also trapped in the Yukon with his brother, Erwin and Crockett Metcalfe. He worked construction on the White Alice project and helped to build Fort Richardson. Mr. Kurtz then started commercial fishing with his brother, Erwin and brother-in-law, Jack Lewis in the late 40’s. He fished salmon, halibut and finally king crab, before retiring from the Bering Sea Fishery in the 90’s.Mr. Kurtz was a very generous person who enjoyed good physical and mental health. He maintained a home and a boat in Seldovia where he lived and worked out of for the past 50 years. He also kept homes in Anchorage and Seattle. He exemplified the true Alaskan pioneer spirit in his independence and character.” Mr. Kurtz was preceded in death by his sister Genie Lewis, brother-in-law, Jack Lewis and his brother, Erwin Kurtz. He is survived by his wife, Olivia Kurtz, step daughters, Cheryl, Diane and Beverley Davis, sister-in-law, Vivian Kurtz of Anchorage, nephews and nieces, Steve and Barbara and Jason Lewis of Kenai, Dan Kurtz and family of Seattle, Art, Becky and Richard Kurtz and their families all of Anchorage. Published in The Seattle Times on Sept. 7, 2003
A video, “Pots of Gold – A History of the Alaska King Crab Fishery”, produced in conjunction with Seattle’s Nordic Heritage Museum, features interviews with crab industry pioneers like Joe Kurtz, who built the first crab pots out of surplus Army bed frames. In the early 1950’s Bering Sea fishermen were experimenting with the round pots used for Dungeness crabs in the south, but they broke apart in the rough waters of the Bering Sea. Joe came across a bunch of steel-framed surplus army cost on a local military base and got an inspiration. “We took the springs out and knocked the cots apart,” he said. “It was easy to do with a heavy hammer and chisel. One whack and you cut the rivets. We stood two of them up on edge, cut the third one in two, and took the pieces we got out of that for the ends. We ended up with a pot that was sixty-three inches long – because that’s what an army cot was”. Thus the modern steel box-shaped crab pot was invented. Eventually the fishermen discarded the cots and made pots from scratch, stringing chicken wire between the frames of welded steel rods.
One of Joe Kurtz’ fishing vessels was the Amatuli: