A Peek into the Past - Kodiak’s Rich History
Known for its rugged terrain, varied wildlife, and crystal blue waters, Kodiak Island has long been hailed as a beautiful, exciting, and welcoming destination for travelers seeking time in the great outdoors, unbelievable views, and a wilderness unlike any other. Kodiak, Alaska, perfectly blends an inviting atmosphere with a sense of the unknown – from its charming downtown to its expansive wild.
It’s a thriving city today, and its rich history only adds to its appeal.
Russian Roots
In the late 1700s, Russian fur traders traveled along the Aleutian Chain – the string of islands that runs from Russia to the Alaskan mainland. Fur traders employed native people, working in skin boats, to assist and teach them how to hunt the local species. Along the way, they hunted sea otters in the North Pacific for their furs to trade. The City of Kodiak was a major port during these travels, eventually established as a commercial port in 1792, and becoming the first capital of Russian America.
A few years after Kodiak’s establishment as the capital, Russian craftsmen used spruce logs to build the Russian-American Co. Magazin to store their ever-growing collection of furs. The building, built about 1804-1808, is now known as the Russian-American Co. Magazin National Historic Landmark and is the home of the Kodiak History Museum to this day. It is the oldest wooden building on North America’s west coast, overlooking downtown Kodiak’s harbor.
A Look Into the Past
The Kodiak History Museum is about more than the past; it celebrates the culture and community of Kodiak and its people. Their mission is to share stories about the area, with permanent and rotating exhibits featuring photographs, interactive displays, and more. Current exhibits include:
Russian Colony in Alutiiq Land | 1780 - 1880s
Basketry | 1900 - present
Constructing the Russian-American Magazin
World War II | 1939 - 1945
Kodiak Becomes American | 1867 - 1940s
Pantry | 1911 - 1948
Erskine House | 1911 - 1948
Governor’s Mansion Rooming House | 1950s
Thanks to donations from the City of Kodiak, Murdock Charitable Trust, Ramuson Foundation, and community members in Kodiak, the Kodiak Historical Society was able to complete $750,000 in renovations and upgrades in 2019 through the Permanent Exhibits Redesign and Facility Upgrade Project. It allows them to continue sharing the rich history of Kodiak today - and for future generations.
Kodiak’s True Beginnings
Indigenous Roots
Before Russian fur traders came to Alaska, Kodiak was inhabited by native Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) peoples for thousands of years. These hunter-gatherers were skilled at using natural resources, carved petroglyphs into rocks around the Kodiak Island Archipelago, and had a strong connection to the land and sea. They built their village houses (ciqlluaq) partially underground and covered them with sod, hunting from kayaks and spreading out village duties – sewing, gathering, fishing, cooking, and hunting – among community members.
Native Alutiiq peoples resisted Russian occupation for 50 years before gathering at “Refuge Rock” (Awa’uq) in August 1784, when Russian fur traders claimed Kodiak as the Russian-American capital. This final battle was a key moment in the loss of their land and power, ultimately leading to many years of Russian control and Alutiiq subjugation.
Tragically, the Good Friday earthquake and tsunami of 1964 destroyed Afognak, the traditional home for the Alutiiq people. Many relocated to Kodiak Island and formed the village of Port Lions. While their original home may have been destroyed, and Russian occupation may have worked to destroy their way of life, the People of Afognak continue to pass down their traditions to new generations and celebrate their rich culture and heritage to this day.
Alaska and the U.S.
On March 30, 1867, the Treaty of Cession was signed by Russian envoy Baron Edouard de Stoeckl and U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward. This marked the moment that Tsar Alexander II sold Russia’s last bit of land in North America to the United States for $7.2 million.
After 125 years of Russia exploring and expanding across the Bering Sea, Russia was growing weary of the many challenges it faced. Alaska was half a world away from St. Petersburg, overhunting had all but destroyed the otter population, conditions were too harsh to farm for large populations, Alaska was difficult to defend, and Russia was running low on funds due to the Crimean War.
At the same time, the U.S., at the direction of Secretary of State Seward, was looking to expand its land ownership and control even more. Along with the desire for more gold, fur, and fishing opportunities, Americans wanted to establish control before England could. For less than $8 million, the U.S. secured 370 million acres of wilderness (220 million acres are wildlife refuges and federal parks today), and access to a wealth of resources – including fur, copper, gold, whale oil, fish, platinum, zinc, lead, and petroleum.
The Darker Side of Alaska’s History
Unfortunately, as with many people and places, Alaska has a darker and more tumultuous history. Although they were small in number, Russians across the Aleutian Islands (including Kodiak) decimated the native Alaskan population. Between disease, war, killing, enslaving, and destroying resources and equipment, the Russians took the indigenous population from around 100,000 down to only 50,000 in Alaska. In the Aleutian Islands, the population went down to 1,500 within the first 50 years of Russian occupation.
When the U.S. took over, the Indian Wars caused many to still see indigenous peoples as enemies. In spite of Alaska natives’ claims to the land, they were denied citizenship until 1924. Missionaries and the Bureau of Indian Affairs worked to destroy native religion, art, languages, and indigenous culture as a whole in the late 1800s. The 1930s and 1940s brought some positive change through the Indian Reorganization Act (allowing the formation of tribal governments) and Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945.
Disasters that Shaped the City
1912 - Mount Novarupta erupts on the Alaskan Peninsula and covers downtown Kodiak in ash
1964 - Tsunamis set off by the Great Alaska Earthquake wipe out Kodiak’s boat harbor & business district
1989 - The fishing industry and beaches are impacted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound
Becoming a State
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act in 1959 and included a clause stating that citizens declined any rights to lands under Native title. In 1971, President Richard Nixon returned 44 million acres of federal lands and $1 billion to the native populations of Alaska – now numbering about 120,000 people of Alaska’s total 740,000 population.
Kodiak’s Naval Beginnings
In 1939, during World War II, construction began on the Kodiak U.S. Naval Base. Kodak quickly grew from a small fishing village with about 400 people to a major naval base and staging area in the North Pacific.
It stood as an important logistics hub for the U.S. during the Aleutian Islands Campaign of WWII but was later handed over to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1972. Today, the base still has a large Coast Guard presence, with operations, special training, and rescue missions for the Pacific.
Preserving Alaska’s Wild
In 1941, land was set aside through legislation for the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Spanning almost 2 million acres, the refuge covers ⅔ of Kodiak Island. It holds 7 rivers, 100 streams, 250 species of birds, all 5 species of Pacific Ocean salmon, and 6 native mammal species: Kodiak bears, red foxes, river otters, ermines, little brown bats, and tundra voles.
Between the 1920s and 1950s, many new species were also introduced to the refuge, including Sita black-tailed deer, mountain goat, caribou, Roosevelt elk, snowshoe hare, beaver, marten, and red squirrel. This place of refuge is also home to a large population of Kodiak bears (about 2,300) and bald eagles (about 1,200).
