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Kupreanof
Kupreanof is located on the northeast
shore of Kupreanof Island, across the Wrangell Narrows from Petersburg
and Mitkof Island. It lies about 120 miles south of Juneau and 120 miles
north of Ketchikan. It lies at approximately 56° 45' N Latitude, 133°
30' W Longitude (Sec. 29, T058S, R079E, Copper River Meridian). The
community is located in the Petersburg Recording District. The area
encompasses 6 sq. miles of land and 2 sq. miles of water.
 Early
residents homesteaded in the area around the turn of the century, when
it was known as West Petersburg. The first business in Kupreanof was a
small sawmill started in 1911 by the Knudsen brothers. In its early
years, the mill produced barrels for salted fish which were shipped out
of Petersburg. The Yukon Fur Farm began raising foxes in the early
1920s, but shortly shifted to mink. It became the first mink farm in
Alaska. During the 1920s, over 100 persons resided in West Petersburg.
In addition to the sawmill, residents operated a small store, a gaff
hook factory, operated one of several mink ranches, or were involved in
commercial fishing. During the 1930s and 40s, a small ship repair
facility, an outboard motor shop, commercial logging, a clam cannery,
and a barrel-maker were operating. Although the Knudsen Mill and the
Yukon Fur Farm continued into the 1960s, the economics of living on the
Island became more difficult. The population fell from 60 in 1950 to 26
in 1960. The population has since remained stable. Kupreanof was named
after the Island when it incorporated as a second class city in 1975 to
forestall annexation by Petersburg and to protect the tranquil,
self-sufficient lifestyle that characterizes the community.
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