The Tlell River flows generally north-northeast for 28 miles (45 km) to Hecate Strait, near the wreck of the steamship SS Pezuta, about 29 miles (47 km) south-southeast of Masset and 4.5 miles (7 km) north of Tlell, British Columbia. The river originates on the eastern flank of Graham Island in Haida Gwaii and drains a watershed of about 85,000 acres (34,400 ha). The small community of Tlell is named after the river, though the meaning in the Haida language is uncertain and may refer to “place of big surf” or “land of berries.” Haida Gwaii means “islands of the people” and comprises an archipelago with approximately 150 islands. Two main islands, Graham in the north and Moresby in the south, form most of the landmass. The west coast of Graham Island is mountainous and rugged, while the eastern part is a broad lowland. Haida Gwaii lies within the Wrangellia terrane, which extends from Oregon to Alaska. The Queen Charlotte Fault, marking the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, defines Wrangellia’s western margin at Haida Gwaii. The eastern boundary is less defined but lies east of Hecate Strait. The Wrangellian terrane comprises Late Triassic basalts overlain by calcareous sedimentary rocks deposited approximately 230 million years ago. In the lowlands of eastern Graham Island, these basement rocks are covered by thick, unconsolidated Quaternary sediments, mainly consisting of marine and glaciomarine mud, outwash sand, and till. The sand was likely deposited near the margin of a piedmont glacier complex originating from the mountains of Haida Gwaii and mainland British Columbia. The Late Wisconsin glaciation of Graham Island’s coastal lowlands was probably minor and brief. This was followed by a marine inundation peaking about 8,000 to 7,500 years ago, when sea levels were approximately 50 feet (15 m) higher relative to the land than today. During the middle and late Holocene, relative sea levels decreased, forming wave-cut scarps and benches overlain by littoral sediments, as well as bars, spits, and beach and dune ridges.

Archaeologists suggest the islands may have served as a stepping stone for human migration into North America from Beringia. Haida Gwaii is the ancestral home of the seafaring Haida First Nation, who have inhabited the region for thousands of years. Before European contact, their population likely numbered in the tens of thousands. The first recorded contact with Europeans occurred in 1774 when Spanish explorer Juan José Pérez Hernández sailed north to claim new territory for Spain. In 1787, British Captain George Dixon initiated trade for sea otter pelts. The Haida subsequently traded with Russian, Spanish, British, and American fur traders and whalers. European settlement on Haida Gwaii began around 1900. By 1915, the Haida population had declined to 588, mainly due to internecine warfare, smallpox, and other diseases for which they had no immunity. The area was first settled by William T. Hodges, also known as “Mexican Tom.” He earned this nickname either because of his swarthy Welsh complexion and long black hair or due to his dealings with Mexican bandits near the Texas border. Hodges immigrated to Canada in 1887 and began cattle ranching on Graham Island at Tlell by 1904. In 1907, he married Flora Emily Burns, with the wedding party held aboard the SS Amur. He established a homestead, now known as Richardson Ranch, on the banks of the Tlell River, and an early hotel was built nearby. In 2008, the Tlell Heritage Site and Conservancy was created, encompassing 40,060 acres (16,212 ha) of traditional Haida territory. This is part of a system of protected areas, with half of Haida Gwaii’s land now under protection. The Tlell Conservancy includes a fen of 865 acres (350 ha) and a marsh area known as the Tlell Pontoons, along with a large portion of the Tlell River watershed. Naikoon Provincial Park extends 45 miles (72 km) north from Tlell to Rose Spit at Graham Island’s northeast tip and is the site of the SS Pezuta shipwreck, located about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of the Tlell River mouth.

The SS Pezuta was built in Raymond, Washington, on Willapa Bay for the Emergency Fleet Corporation by the Sanderson & Porter Shipyard. Launched in 1918, its name comes from the Lakota Sioux word for “medicine.” The Emergency Fleet Corporation was established by the United States Shipping Board to acquire merchant ships during World War I for national defense. Construction required 1.8 million board feet (4,248 cubic meters) of lumber, 20,000 nails, 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg) of clinch rings, 600 gallons (2,271 l) of paint, 400 bales of oakum, 200 tons (181 metric tons) of round iron, 30 tons (27 metric tons) of iron strapping, and 2 tons (1.8 metric tons) of lead preservatives. After launch, the ship was towed to Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island for the installation of coal-fired steam engines, then to Seattle for sea trials and acceptance by the United States Shipping Board. However, the armistice on November 11, 1918, ended the need for ships, and the Pezuta was sold to reduce excess inventory. By 1922, the Pezuta was no longer on the official U.S. Merchant Ship Registry and was likely abandoned. Many surplus wooden ships were acquired by the Washington Tug & Barge Company, which partnered with Canadian shipbuilder John Coughlan to form the British Pacific Transport Company Ltd. The Pezuta was refitted as a barge for hauling logs. On December 11, 1928, while under tow by the steam tug Imbricaria during a heavy southeast gale, the towline broke and the Pezuta ran aground at the mouth of the Tlell River on Graham Island. The vessel was nearly a total loss, but locals salvaged logs, and the Prince Rupert Salvage & Towing Company deemed the hull not worth refloating. Three truckloads of machinery were removed from the ship, and the remaining wreck was left high on the beach, gradually to be broken up by waves and weather. Read more here and here. Explore more of the SS Pezuta and Tlell River here: