Archive information for this page has been provided by Herring Gut Learning Center (www.herringgut.org).
Can Beach: “Can Beach” is located just east of the former Sardine Factory, Port Clyde Packing Company. In the afternoon of September 24, 1970 the factory caught fire. Fortunately no one was in the building at the time. It was the largest fire in the history of St. George and left over 1 million dollars worth of damage and 200 people jobless. When the factory exploded all the cans flew out of the building and into the water. The cans soon washed up onto the beach that we call “Can Beach.” People can walk down onto the beach and find the old Port Clyde sardine cans. Some of them are melted and crushed up. If you are there at the right time you can find a can that still has a good label on it. But most of the cans that wash up have been beat down by the current of the ocean.
