Things to do / Travel Guide
The Alaska Panhandle was originally populated by Eskimos. European exploration of the region started with the expeditions of Alexei Chirikoff and Vitus Bering in 1741. Starting in 1745, the Alaska Peninsula was visited regularly by Russian fur traders, who subsequently established a relatively permanent European presence in the region beginning in the 1760s. A settlement was built near Yakutat in 1795.
Russian-flagged ships delivered supplies to settlements such as these and returned to Russia with furs. In the early part of the 19th century, a large segment of the trading was taken over by American-flagged ships. In 1835, a large whaling site was discovered off the Alaska Panhandle's coast. This led to the permanent presence of large numbers of American whalers in the region during the summers. With the decline of the fur trade and a more-involved participation in the Crimean War, Russia decided to sell Alaska to the United States in 1867 for $7.5 million. This move, initiated by U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, was seen as unpopular at the time and became known as “Seward's Folly.” The move was obviously vindicated when both gold and oil were later discovered in Alaska.
Thus, the Alaska “district” was created and run by the U.S. Army for 10 years, followed by the Department of the Treasury for two years, and then the Navy for five years. In 1884, the district's first governor was appointed, and, a decade or so later, Alaska was finally given its own legal code. In 1906, Alaska sent its first official delegate to the U.S. Congress. Alaska was designated a U.S. territory in 1912, and the 49th state in 1958.
Since acquiring statehood, the Alaska Panhandle has continued to be a bastion of natural beauty, a contributor to national resources with its petroleum and mining industries. The region has especially blossomed in the area of tourism, bringing hundreds of thousands of tourists to its shores annually through cruises and land-based arrivals.
The Alaska Panhandle has a rich and varied history that visitors can learn about by visiting some of its excellent historical sites, such as the A-J Mine/Gastineau Mill Enterprises and the Totem Heritage Center.
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