Sitka City and Borough, Alaska

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

(Redirected from Sitka, Alaska)
Jump to: navigation, search

Sitka City and Borough is a borough located on the west side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle), in the state of Alaska. The borough seat is Sitka, the only incorporated section. Sitka, the "First City of Alaska," is the state's fifth-largest in terms of population.

The name Sitka (derived from Sheet’ká, a contraction of the Tlingit name Shee At'iká) means "People on the Outside of Shee," Sheet’-ká X'áat'l (often expressed simply as Shee) being the Tlingit name for Baranof Island. The town is often referred to as "Sitka-by-the-Sea."

The seal of the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska.
Enlarge
The seal of the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska.

Contents

History

A replica of Russian Block House #1 (one of three watchtowers that guarded the stockade walls at Old Sitka) as constructed by the National Park Service in 1962.
Enlarge
A replica of Russian Block House #1 (one of three watchtowers that guarded the stockade walls at Old Sitka) as constructed by the National Park Service in 1962.

The area was originally settled by the native Tlingit (Kolosh) Indians. Old Sitka was founded in 1799 by Alexandr Baranov, the governor of Russian America. Baronov arrived under the auspices of the Russian-American Company, a "semi-official" colonial trading company chartered by Czar Paul I. In 1802 a group of Tlingit destroyed the original establishment (an area today called the "Old Harbor") and massacred most of the Russian inhabitants. Baranov was forced to levy 10,000 rubles in ransom for the safe return of the surviving settlers.

Gajaa Héen (Old Sitka), circa 1827. The new Russian palisade atop "Castle Hill" (Noow Tlein) that surrounded the Governor's Residence had three watchtowers, armed with 32 cannon, for defense against Tlingit attacks.
Enlarge
Gajaa Héen (Old Sitka), circa 1827. The new Russian palisade atop "Castle Hill" (Noow Tlein) that surrounded the Governor's Residence had three watchtowers, armed with 32 cannon, for defense against Tlingit attacks.

Baranov returned to Sitka in 1804 with a large contingent of Russians and Aleuts aboard the Russian warship Neva. The ship bombarded the native's village, forcing the Tlingits to retreat into the surrounding forest. Following their victory at the Battle of Sitka the Russians established a permanent settlement in the form of a fort, named "Novo-Arkhangelsk" (or "New Archangel," a reference to the largest city in the region where Baranov was born). In 1808, with Baranov still governor, Sitka was designated the capital of Russian America.

Bishop Innokentii of the Russian Orthodox Church lived in Sitka after 1840. The Russian Bishop's House has since been restored by the National Park Service. The steady influx of American settlers eventually caused the predominate religious influence to sway from Russian to Western European.

The Sitka Lutheran Church, built in 1840, was the first Protestant church on the Pacific Coast. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Michael was founded in 1848, and St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church was consecrated as "The Cathedral of Alaska" in 1900. A list of all of the buildings and sites in Sitka that appear in the National Register of Historic Places can be found at [1].

Sitka was the site of the ceremony in which the Russian flag was lowered and the United States flag raised after Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867 after the sea otter pelt trade died out. The flag lowering and raising event is re-enacted in Sitka every October 18 (Alaska Day). After the original ceremony, the entire U.S. government presence in Alaska until the Klondike Gold Rush consisted of a single customs inspector on the island. Sitka would serve as the capital of the Alaska Territory until 1906, when the seat of government was relocated north to Juneau. The state's first newspaper, The Sitka Times, was published by Barney O. Ragan on September 19, 1868.

While gold mining and fish canning paved the way for the town's initial growth, it wasn't until World War II, when the Navy constructed an air base on Japonski Island, (with its 30,000 service personnel) that Sitka finally came into its own. Today Sitka encompasses portions of Baranof Island and the smaller Japonski Island (across the Sitka Channel from the town), which is connected to Baranof Island by the O'Connell Bridge. Japonski Island is home to Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (IATA:SIT, ICAO:PASI), the Sitka branch campus of the University of Alaska Southeast, the Mt. Edgecumbe High School -- a state-run boarding school for rural Alaskans, the Indian Health Service regional hospital SEARHC (SouthEast Alaska Regional Healthcare Center), a US Coast Guard air station, and the port and facilities for the USCGC Maple (WLB-207).

Looking across the harbor in Sitka.
Enlarge
Looking across the harbor in Sitka.

The waters around Sitka are famous for the presence of large populations of humpback whales, which sometimes breach and spin before crashing back to the water. Each November the town celebrates "Whale Fest" at the peak of the October-January southern migration of the 40-ton cetaceans, the greatest in Southeast Alaska. Nearby St. Lazaria Island, a seabird haven (part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge) is a home to puffins, petrels, and many other birds.


Geography

A view toward Sitka from the Pacific Ocean.  The town is the only one in Southeast Alaska that faces the Gulf of Alaska "head-on."
Enlarge
A view toward Sitka from the Pacific Ocean. The town is the only one in Southeast Alaska that faces the Gulf of Alaska "head-on."

Sitka is located at 57°03′ 10 N°135′ 19.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough is the largest incorporated area in the U.S, with a total area of 12,461.8 km² (4,811.5 mi²). 7,443.6 km² (2,874.0 mi²) of it is land and 5,018.2 km² (1,937.6 mi²) of it, or 40.27%, is water.

  • Average annual rainfall is 57 inches; annual average snowfall is 39 inches.
  • The average high temperature in July is 61 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average low temperature in January is 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

While Baranof Island isn't the home to Mount Edgecumbe, a 3,200-foot-tall dormant volcano located on Kruzof Island, a clear view of it is.

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there are 8,835 people, 3,278 households, and 2,219 families residing in the borough. The population density is 1.2/km² (3.1/mi²). There are 3,650 housing units at an average density of 0.5/km² (1.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 68.50% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 18.57% Native American, 3.79% Asian, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 7.53% from two or more races. 3.28% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,278 households out of which 36.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% are married couples living together, 10.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% are non-families. 24.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.61 and the average family size is 3.15.

In the borough the population is spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 104.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough is $51,901, and the median income for a family is $62,361. Males have a median income of $40,037 versus $30,319 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $23,622. 7.8% of the population and 4.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Transportation

Its location on an island makes transportation to and from Sitka inherently difficult, expensive, and inconvenient. By air, Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport offers service from jet and regional carrier Alaska Airlines and charter and bush community carrier Harris Air. However, cancellations due to Sitka's weather are frequent. The much cheaper option for travel is that of the Alaska Marine Highway System (ferry). The ferry terminal is located seven miles north of downtown but receives very spotty service. Sitka's location on the outer coast of Alaskan Panhandle and thus far off mainline routes, and the tides of Peril Strait that allow mainline vessels through only at slack tide compound for no designated service by a vessel and minimal service overall. However, AMHS is often the mode of transportation of choice when the schedule proves convenient especially for lower income groups because of its much cheaper cost.

Colleges and universities

Attractions

Sitka's many attractions include:

The flora and fauna of Sitka and its surrounding area are also a notable attraction. Day cruises and guided day trips (hiking) are large enterprises in Sitka. Floatplane "flightseeing" excursions are a breathtaking way to view the area's many sights from high above.

Outdoor opportunities

Sitka's unique position of being straddled between the Pacific Ocean and the most mountainous island in the Alexander Archipelago creates an abundant variety of outdoor opportunities:

Looking down Sitka Channel in the early morning.
Enlarge
Looking down Sitka Channel in the early morning.
  • The Baranof Cross-Island Trail, which leads to the small community of Baranof Warm Springs on the eastern side of the island, is a popular summer hike. Only serious and experienced backpackers, or those with an experienced guide should undertake such a trip due to volatile weather conditions in the mountains and the required crossings of icefields, with crevasses.
  • The dormant volcano Mount Edgecumbe is also a popular mountain to summit and features a seven-mile trail up to the top. Guided day-trips are available, but the trip does not require much knowledge to undertake.
  • The officially unnamed, but informally named Peak 5390 (the name is derived from its height in feet) is the highest point on Baranof Island, a demanding but rewarding excursion. Few people undertake this hike; those interested should consult with one who has "summitted" previously.
  • Kayaking is a popular activity and small guided day excursions are offered locally. For longer trips, popular destinations include the Baranof Island-located outposts of Goddard hot springs, Baranof Warm Springs, Port Alexander, Port Armstrong, or Port Walter. White Sulphur Hot Springs (on the western side of Chichagof Island) is also a destination for ocean kayakers. For locations closer to Sitka, Forest Service cabins are popular.
  • For more experienced kayakers, there are many tidewater bays/lakes that offer exhilarating and dangerous whitewater tidal currents.
  • There are a number of maintained trails in the Sitka area, many of which are accessible from Sitka's road system. Some popular trails include the Indian River Trail, Harbor Mountain/Gavin Hill Trail, Redoubt Lake Trail, Mount Verstovia Trail, and Shelikof Trail.

Trivia

References

  • Andrews, C.L. (1944) The Story of Alaska, The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, OH
  • Fedorova, Svetlana G., trans. & ed. by Richard A. Pierce and Alton S. Donnelly (1973) The Russian Population in Alaska and California: Late 18th Century - 1867, Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario. ISBN 0-919642-53-5
  • Naske, Claus-M and Herman E. Slotnick (2003) Alaska: A History of the 49th State, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. ISBN 0-8061-2099-1
  • Nordlander, David J. (1994) For God & Tsar: A Brief History of Russian America 1741 - 1867, Alaska Natural History Association, Anchorage, AL. ISBN 0-930931-15-7
  • Wharton, David (1991) They Don't Speak Russian in Sitka: A New Look at the History of Southern Alaska, Markgraf Publications Group, Menlo Park, CA. ISBN 094410908X
  • Wilber, Glenn (1993) The Sitka Story: Crown Jewel of Baranof Island, "Land of Destiny"—Alaska Publications, Sitka, AK
  • Tlingit Geographical Place Names for the Sheet'ká Kwáan — Sitka Tribe of Alaska, an interactive map of Sitka Area native place names.

See also

External links


The Pioneer Home, one of Sitka's many historic structures, in May 2002.
Enlarge
The Pioneer Home, one of Sitka's many historic structures, in May 2002.


Flag of Alaska

State of Alaska

Capital

Juneau

Regions

Alaskan Bush | Interior | North Slope | Panhandle | South Central | Tanana Valley

Largest
cities

Anchorage | Barrow | Bethel | Fairbanks | Homer | Juneau | Kenai | Ketchikan | Kodiak | Kotzebue | Nome | Palmer | Petersburg | Seward | Sitka | Unalaska | Valdez | Wasilla

Boroughs,
census
areas

Aleutians East | Aleutians West | Anchorage | Bethel | Bristol Bay | Denali | Dillingham | Fairbanks North Star | Haines | Juneau | Kenai Peninsula | Ketchikan Gateway | Kodiak Island | Lake and Peninsula | Matanuska-Susitna | Nome | North Slope | Northwest Arctic | Prince of Wales - Outer Ketchikan | Sitka | Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon | Southeast Fairbanks | Valdez-Cordova | Wade Hampton | Wrangell-Petersburg | Yakutat | Yukon-Koyukuk

Personal tools