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Sitka City and Borough is a city-borough located on the west side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle), in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the largest city in area in the United States. The borough seat is Sitka, the only incorporated section. Sitka, the "First City of Alaska," is the state's fourth-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."
History 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. Baranov arrived under the auspices of the Russian-American Company, a "semi-official" colonial trading company chartered by Tsar 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. Baranov returned to Sitka in 1804 with a large contingent of Russians and Aleuts aboard the Russian warship Neva. The ship bombarded the natives' 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 predominant 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 twenty of the buildings and sites in Sitka that appear in the National Register of Historic Places can be found here or here. 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''. 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
Adjacent boroughs and census areas Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 8,835 people, 3,278 households, and 2,219 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1.2/km² (3.1/mi²). There were 3,650 housing units at an average density of 0.5/km² (1.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,278 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.15. In the borough the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $51,901, and the median income for a family was $62,361. Males had a median income of $40,037 versus $30,319 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,622. About 4.2% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over. 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 Aircraft Services. 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, the 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 Sitka boasts two post-secondary institutions. Sheldon Jackson College is a small Presbyterian-affiliated private college and University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka Campus is located on Japonski Island in an old World War II hangar. Schools The Sitka School District runs several schools in Sitka, including a principal (Sitka High School) and alternative (Pacific High School) high school. Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a State of Alaska-run boarding high school, is located on Japonski Island adjacent to University of Alaska Southeast. Libraries Sitka has two primary libraries, the public library, Kettleson Memorial Library, as well as Sheldon Jackson College's academic library, Stratton Library. 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
Media Sitka is served by one of the remaining few independently owned daily newspapers in the state in the Sitka Sentinel. The public radio station KCAW and commercial radio stations KIFW and KSBZ fill the airwaves. Sitka also receives circulation of the Capital City Weekly — a weekly regional newspaper based out of Juneau. Notable residents Sister cities Sitka has the following sister city: Trivia See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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