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Akutan
 Akutan
is located on Akutan Island in the eastern Aleutians, one of the
Krenitzin Islands of the Fox Island group. It is 35 miles east of
Unalaska, and 766 air miles southwest of Anchorage. It lies at
approximately 54° 08' N Latitude, 165° 46' W Longitude (Sec. 11, T070S,
R112W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Aleutian
Islands Recording District. The area encompasses 14 sq. miles of land
and 5 sq. miles of water.
 Akutan
began in 1878 as a fur storage and trading port for the Western Fur &
Trading Company. The company's agent established a commercial cod
fishing and processing business that quickly attracted nearby Aleuts to
the community. A church and school were built in 1878. Pacific Whaling
Company built a whale processing station across the bay from Akutan in
1912. It was the only whaling station in the Aleutians, and operated
until 1939. After the Japanese attacked Unalaska in June 1942, the U.S.
Government evacuated Akutan residents to the Ketchikan area. The village
was re-established in 1944, although many villagers chose not to return.
This exposure to the outside world brought many changes to the
traditional lifestyle and attitudes of the community.
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