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Bristol Bay Borough
Approximately 500 square miles in area,
the Bristol Bay Borough is located in Southwest Alaska, at the upper
eastern end of Bristol Bay. The Katmai National Park is adjacent to the
Borough. It lies at approximately 58° 43' N Latitude, 157° 00' W
Longitude . The community is located in the Kvichak Recording District.
The area encompasses 519 sq. miles of land and 398 sq. miles of water.
 The
region was first settled by Athabascan Indians, Central Yup'ik Eskimos
and Sugpiaq (Aleut-Russian) Eskimos. Hunting and fishing camps along the
Naknek River date from 3,000 to 4,000 B.C. In 1818, the first Russian
traders arrived. Two years later, the first Russian settlement was
established, and in 1841, the Russian Orthodox Mission was built at
Nushagak. The Russians explored and maintained dominance of the area
until the U.S. purchase of Alaska in 1867. U.S. interests were directed
primarily at the fur and fishery potential of the region. In 1883, the
first salmon cannery in Bristol Bay was opened. In 1890, the first
cannery on the Naknek River was opened. Commercial salmon remain the
region's primary industry. During World War II, King Salmon Air Force
Base was developed. The Bristol Bay Borough was incorporated as the
state's first borough in 1962.
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