Three rows of colorful wool jackets sit amid carefully labeled trays stacked with neat rows of marine parts and large spools of hose of various diameters — items that might seem out of place in a marine supply store but are hugely popular among Southeast residents who live on the water.
This iconic jacket is hard to find; it’s becoming an antique in Alaskan closets. The wool is rain-resistant, and extra panels on the front and back shoulders, called “capes,” add warmth. Originally used as a warm layer under the oilskins that fishermen wore on their boats, the short wool coat was respectable enough to wear into town once they’d shed their waterproof gear, says Jim Geraghti, owner of Lemon Creek Marine Shop.
Jim Geraghty’s uncle, Norm Israelson, proudly wears his new, “used” halibut jacket in a photo posted on the wall of his nephew’s house, along with photos of more than 50 other jacket buyers. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
The jacket was made by John L. Rich & Sons of Pennsylvania, founded in 1830. The Rich family coined the name Woolrich by combining their own name with that of a nearby woolen mill, other manufacturers including Filson of Seattle, Johnson Woolen Mills of Vermont, and Pendleton of Oregon.
The origins of the name “Halibut” jacket are a bit murky, but the local term seems to come from fishermen who catch flounder with longlines.
Marine parts manufacturer Jim Geraghti stumbled upon the new line of vintage goods about a year ago when his uncle, Norm Israelson, lost a prized, decades-old halibut jacket. Jim says he really wanted it. So he searched online and found a replacement for Woolrich’s classic. He ordered it. That shipment was lost in the mail, so he found and purchased two more online. Then the first order and the extra shipment arrived at the same time. One jacket was given to his uncle, and the rest hung casually in Jim’s shop.
“The customers were thrilled,” Geraghty said when he saw the flounder jackets hanging near the boat parts. Soon the surplus jackets were sold and friends came by to buy more.
The Woolrich jackets have a dry-cleaning tag attached to their logo tag. Geraghty professionally dry-cleans all of his jackets before selling them. He washes the wool in warm water with Woolite. Geraghty says not to put them in the dryer as they will shrink. (Lori Craig / Juno Empire)
Jim scoured online resources the same way he has doggedly sought out historical photographs of Juneau: Geraghty is known as an avid historian who has purchased photo collections from online estate sales and donated them to public institutions such as libraries and museums.
Now, racks of hard-to-find “used” wool jackets hang, each still with the Alaska Laundry dry-cleaning tag that Jim sent them before they were put on display, and in addition to the gray and dark red that Jim wears, the jackets feature the vibrant colors that made Woolrich popular in the 1970s.
“Royal blue is our most popular color,” Jim said as he served six boat-owning customers on a cloudy Friday afternoon in May. They waited and chatted with the shopkeeper while his staff produced hoses with fittings to order. Green, bright red, blue and tan were popular jacket colors in the 1970s. The original woollen mill design was a red-and-black plaid flannel made for lumberjacks, hunters and trappers.
Jim Geraghty stares at the photos on the store’s walls, of smiling people holding new and used jackets. (Laurie Craig / Juno Empire)
The joy of those who bought new jackets is evident in the more than 50 color photographs tacked to the walls of Geraghty’s shop. Men and women proudly wearing their new clothes, smiling for the cameras. It’s a fashion runway of happy people enjoying the outdoors. Jim flicks through 25 photo prints that he hasn’t had time to display yet.
Over the years, sizes have changed, and so have human bodies. “People used to be a lot smaller,” Jim says. The advantage of his jacket rack is that customers can try them on and check them out in a full-length mirror propped up against the wall. He tells the story of a man who tried on several models, finally found the perfect jacket and exclaimed, “That’s my jacket!”
Ron Flint, owner of Nugget Alaskan Outfitter in the Valley, used to sell a popular wool jacket. “It was originally called a ‘stag jacket,'” he says. But it became hard to find, and deliveries were erratic and “hit or miss,” Flint says. His parents, Bill and Donna Flint, started the family business 50 years ago as a department store downtown selling a wide range of clothing for the whole family. Today, Flint sells wool outdoor wear made in Canada.
Cosmic Debris owner Axel Gillam holds up two vintage jackets in his store on Monday, May 20. (Laurie Craig/Juno Empire)
This small, local downtown store specializes in vintage clothing, with wool jackets proving to be a hit. At 28, Axel Gillam is younger than the iconic wool coats he sells, but at Cosmic Debris he feels a nostalgic connection with his equally young customers, who want durability in their clothes and value the connection to their elders. Gillam was born in Uchigiagvik and grew up in remote areas of south-central Alaska and in Homer, where Woolrich coats weren’t known as halibut jackets. Still, Woolrich coats are ubiquitous and are definitely making a comeback, he says.
As a sound engineer for performers, Gillam splits his time between traveling to other venues for live music shows and “thrift-shopping” for his shop on North Franklin Street.
Across the street, a large mural by Juneau artist Ernie Weimer features portraits of familiar local people, two of whom are wearing the original dark red halibut jackets.
Artist Ernie Weimer painted a mural on the concrete exterior wall near Second and Franklin streets featuring portraits of two local residents wearing the original deep red halibut jackets. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
Wandering through Juneau’s harbor, more stories emerge. In Harris Harbor, commercial fisherman Mike Walsh wore a wool vest under his halibut “shirt,” which is lighter woven than a jacket and has no shoulder layers. But he kept his signature gray coat in the wheelhouse of his trawler, the Silver Fox, and pulled it out to show remnants of his workday, including bottom paint stains on the back and hull paint on the front.
The third mate of a luxury cruise ship docked downtown spoke fondly of the woolen Filson hunting jacket and woolen trousers he bought 30 years ago that protected him when he was in the woods or piloting a Zodiac boat on the icy waters of Alaska.
Commercial fisherman Mike Walsh wore a lightweight wool halibut “shirt” over a wool vest as he hosed down the deck of the Thurmont Troller on Saturday, May 18. He went into the wheelhouse of the Silver Fox and retrieved his gray Woolrich coat. Some of the paint on the bottom and hull has chipped off, but he’s left his well-worn, beloved jacket on board. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
In Oak Bay, a charter boat captain is filing the door of his boat. A few years ago, his late father gave him a prized wool coat from Woolrich, now a wearable heirloom. He also employs scouts to search thrift stores for recycled halibut jackets.
Many modern adventurers have adopted new fabrics and technologies to replace durable wool jackets — fleeces and other lightweight, waterproof garments are more readily available — but Ron Flint said the tradition continues, as his daughter recently purchased a used Halibut jacket online.
• Contact Laurie Craig at laurie.craig@juneauempire.com.
