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Yakutat Borough
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Yakutat is isolated among the lowlands
along the Gulf of Alaska, 225 miles northwest of Juneau and 220 miles
southeast of Cordova. It is at the mouth of Yakutat Bay, one of the few
refuges for vessels along this stretch of coast. The Hubbard and Malaspina
Glaciers are nearby. The area encompasses 7,651 square miles of land.
Yakutat has a diverse cultural history.
The original settlers are believed to have been Eyak-speaking people from
the Copper River area who were conquered by the Tlingits. Yakutat means
"the place where the canoes rest."
In the 18th and 19th centuries, English,
French, Spanish and Russian explorers came to the region. Fur traders were
attracted to the region's sea otters. The Russian-American Co. built a
fort in Yakutat in 1805 to harvest sea otter pelts. Because the Russians
would not allow local Tlingits access to their traditional fisheries, a
Tlingit war party attacked and destroyed the post. In 1884, the Alaska
Commercial Co. opened a store in Yakutat. By 1886, the black sand beaches
in the area were being mined for gold. In 1889 the Swedish Free Mission
Church had opened a school and sawmill in the area.
A cannery,
sawmill, store and railroad were constructed beginning in 1903 by the
Stimson Lumber Co. Most residents moved to the current site of Yakutat to
be closer to this cannery, which operated through 1970. During World War
II, a large aviation garrison and paved runway were constructed. Troops
were withdrawn after the war, but the runway is still in use. The City of
Yakutat was formed in 1948, but in 1992, the City was dissolved and a
Borough was organized for the region.
A federally recognized tribe is located in the
community -- the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe; Central Council Tlingit & Haida
Indian Tribes of Alaska. The population of the community consists of 46.8%
Alaska Native or part Native.
The area maintains a traditional
Tlingit culture with influences from the original Eyak Athabascans, as
well as Russian, English and American traders and miners.
A total of 808 residents is recorded for
Yakutat Borough in the 2000 census.
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Mailing Lists:
AKWEB: Alaska Genealogy & History -
This is a statewide list intended for the
exchange of genealogical, historical and cultural information about
the state of Alaska and the ancestors who lived here. Newbies to
genealogical research and/or computer researching in Alaska are welcome.
- Subscribe: akweb+subscribe@googlegroups.com
- I will need to approve your request to subscribe
- Once subscribed you can post queries by sending your message to:
akweb@googlegroups.com
SOUTHEAST is a regional mailing list intended for Alaska's Southeast
Region, also known as the Inside Passage. This encompasses Haines
Borough, Juneau Borough, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Prince of
Wales-Outer Ketchikan Borough, Sitka Borough, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon
Census Area, Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, and Yakutat Borough.
Newbies to genealogical research
and/or computer researching in Alaska are welcome.
- Subscribe:
akint+subscribe@googlegroups.com
- I will need to approve your request to subscribe
- Once subscribed you can post queries by sending your message to:
akint@googlegroups.com
AKNAT:
NATIVES OF
ALASKA is a statewide list intended for the exchange of genealogical,
historical, and cultural information of Alaska Natives.
- Subscribe: aknat+subscribe@googlegroups.com
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aknat@googlegroups.com
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