Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak, Alaska
—  City  —
View of Kodiak from Pillar Mountain
Location in Alaska
Coordinates: 57°47′35″N 152°23′39″W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Borough	Kodiak Island
Area
• Total	6.8 sq mi (12.10 km2)
• Land	5.4 sq mi (9.5 km2)
• Water	3.5 sq mi (4.5 km2)
Elevation	49 ft (15 m)
Population (2008)
• Total	6,228
• Density	1,153/sq mi (656/km2)
Time zone	Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9)
• Summer (DST)	AKDT (UTC-8)
Area code	907
FIPS code	02-40950
GNIS feature ID	1404875
Website	http://www.city.kodiak.ak.us/

Kodiak (Кадьяк, Kadʹyak) is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline. The population was 6,357 in July 2009.

Originally inhabited by Alutiiq natives for over 7000 years, the city was settled in the 18th century by Russian immigrants and became the capital of Russian Alaska. Harvesting of the area's sea otter pelts led to the near extinction of the animal in the following century and led to wars with and enslavement of the natives for over 150 years. As part of the Alaska Purchase by the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a commercial fishing center which continues to this day. A lesser economic influence includes tourism, mainly by those seeking outdoor adventure trips. Salmon, halibut, the unique Kodiak Bear, elk, Sitka Deer (black tail), and mountain goats invite hunting tourists as well as fishermen to the Kodiak Archipelago. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintains an office in the city and a website to help hunters and fishermen obtain the proper permits and learn about the laws specific to the Kodiak area. The city has four public elementary schools, a middle and high school, as well as a branch of the University of Alaska. An antenna farm at the summit of Pillar Mountain above the city historically provided communication with the outside world before fiber optic cable was run. Transportation to and from the island is provided by ferry service on the Alaska Marine Highway as well as local commercial airlines.

History

The Kodiak Archipelago has been home to native cultures for over 7000 years. In their language, "Kadiak" means island. Their descendants still occupy the island and are considered Alutiiq, a term used to describe both their language and culture. In 1763, the Russian explorer Stephan Glotov discovered the island, followed by the English Captain James Cook fifteen years later, who first penned "Kodiak" in his journals in 1778.

In 1791, the Russian fur trapper Alexander Baranov had the post at Three Saints Bay, which was founded in 1784, moved to a new site at Saint Paul Harbor, today the location of the city of Kodiak. Baranov considered Three Saints Bay a poor location because it was too indefensible. The relocated settlement was named Pavlovskaia. A warehouse was built in what became one of the key posts of the Shelikhov-Golikov Company, a precursor of the Russian-American Company and a center for harvesting the area's vast population of sea otters for their prized pelts. The warehouse still stands as the Baranov Museum. Because the First Native cultures revered this animal and would never harm it, wars with and enslavement of the Aleuts occurred during this era. Eastern Orthodox missionaries settled on the island by the end of the 18th century, continuing European settlement of the island, which eventually became the capital of Russian Alaska. The Russian-American Company was established as a partnership between the two countries in the following century to continue the sea otter harvest. By the mid-19th century, the sea otter was almost extinct and 85% of the First Native population had disappeared from violence and exposure to European diseases.

Kodiak, sometime shortly after 1900

When Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a center for commercial fishing, and canneries dotted the island in the early 20th century until global farm-raised salmon eliminated these businesses. New processing centers emerged and the industry continues to evolve, even today. During the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, animals such as the mountain goat, Sitka Deer(black tail), rabbits, muskrats, beavers, squirrels, and others were introduced to the island and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was created.

Street of Kodiak in 1965

As Kodiak was incorporated in 1941, the U.S. feared attack from Japanese during World War II, and turned the town into a fortress. Roads, the airport, Fort Abercrombie, and gun fortifications improved the island's infrastructure. When Alaska became a state in 1959, government assistance in housing, transportation, and education added additional benefits. A tectonic tsunami struck the city during the 1964 Alaska earthquake with 30-foot (9.1 m) waves that killed 15 people and caused $11 million in damages. It also wiped out the neighboring Native villages of Old Harbor and Kaguyak. The Standard Oil Company, the Alaskan King Crab Company, and much of the fishing fleet were also destroyed.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

This preserved Kodiak Bear is in Mack's Sporting Goods store where hunters and fishermen can obtain licenses from the ADF&G

Because Kodiak is an important environmental asset which affects the fishing industry, particularly salmon fishing, and because the island is coveted by hunters worldwide for its unique Kodiak bear and other game animals, there are strict laws governing fishing and hunting activities as well as hiking near spawning streams. Both the Department and the city maintain websites and publish helpful brochures to help communicate these strictly enforced laws. All of the city's hotels and businesses have these materials in prominent areas for guests and licenses can be purchases in the city's main sporting goods store and online.

Climate

The community of Kodiak lies within the subpolar oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfc), marked by relatively long and cold winters and mild summers. Precipitation is heavy year-round, though markedly less in the summer months.

Climate data for Kodiak, Alaska
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	54 (12)	60 (16)	57 (14)	70 (21)	80 (27)	86 (30)	82 (28)	84 (29)	80 (27)	74 (23)	60 (16)	62 (17)	86 (30)
Average high °F (°C)	35.0 (1.7)	36.1 (2.3)	38.9 (3.8)	43.7 (6.5)	49.5 (9.7)	55.6 (13.1)	60.5 (15.8)	61.9 (16.6)	56.6 (13.7)	47.2 (8.4)	39.9 (4.4)	36.4 (2.4)	46.8 (8.2)
Average low °F (°C)	24.7 (−4.1)	24.9 (−3.9)	26.9 (−2.8)	31.4 (−0.3)	37.5 (3.1)	43.6 (6.4)	48.2 (9.0)	48.4 (9.1)	43.4 (6.3)	34.2 (1.2)	28.8 (−1.8)	25.2 (−3.8)	34.8 (1.6)
Record low °F (°C)	−16 (−27)	−12 (−24)	−6 (−21)	7 (−14)	18 (−8)	30 (−1)	35 (2)	34 (1)	26 (−3)	7 (−14)	0 (−18)	−9 (−23)	−16 (−27)
Precipitation inches (mm)	8.17 (207.5)	5.72 (145.3)	5.22 (132.6)	5.48 (139.2)	6.31 (160.3)	5.38 (136.7)	4.12 (104.6)	4.48 (113.8)	7.84 (199.1)	8.36 (212.3)	6.63 (168.4)	7.64 (194.1)	75.35 (1,913.9)
Snowfall inches (cm)	15.6 (39.6)	17.5 (44.5)	12.3 (31.2)	7.4 (18.8)	.6 (1.5)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	2.2 (5.6)	7.1 (18)	14.9 (37.8)	77.6 (197.1)
Avg. precipitation days	17	16	16	16	17	15	15	14	16	16	16	17	191
Source no. 1: The Weather Channel (records and precip)
Source no. 2: Climate Zone (all else)

Demographics

Kodiak Harbor after a storm in July 2009

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	495		—
1900	341		−31.1%
1910	438		28.4%
1920	374		−14.6%
1930	442		18.2%
1940	864		95.5%
1950	1,710		97.9%
1960	2,628		53.7%
1970	3,798		44.5%
1980	4,756		25.2%
1990	6,305		32.6%
2000	6,334		0.5%
2010	6,130		−3.2%
source:

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,324 people, 1,996 households, and 1,361 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,832.7 people per square mile (706.8/km²). There were 2,255 housing units at an average density of 652.5 per square mile (251.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.40% White, 0.69% Black or African Americans, 29.1% Native American, 31.73% Asian, 0.93% Pacific Islander, 4.36% from other races, and 5.42% from two or more races. 8.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Transportation

Kodiak Airport attracts both local and regional airlines, air taxis, and charter floatplanes and helicopters which provide transportation to residents and tourists on and off the island. The Alaska Marine Highway provides further transportation via two ferries: the M/V Tustumena and M/V Kennicott. These ships can carry a capacity of 211 and 748 passengers, respectively, and include routes between Kodiak, Homer and Seward, Alaska. Floatplane and bushplane companies regularly take tourists to remote areas and wilderness lodges both on the various islands of the Kodiak Archipelago and the Katmai coast for bear viewing, hunting and hikes. The city business community also has a fleet of privately owned taxis as well as kayaks, mountain bikes and ATVs for rent.

The ferryboat M/V Tustamena is part of the Alaska Marine Highway. It can carry 210 passengers and serves Kodiak, Homer Whittier and the Aleutians as far as Dutch Harbor.

A Floatplane dropping off guests at a remote wilderness lodge on Raspberry Island (Alaska), part of the Kodiak archipelago. All guests to these lodges begin their journey in the city of Kodiak.

Community events

A sculpture in the city's tiny shopping district was donated by the Kodiak Crab Festival. The sculpture was removed in July, 2010.

The City of Kodiak is home to a number of annual events that draw locals and people from off-island. The most well-known of these is Kodiak Crab Festival. Organized by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, the event takes place over Memorial Day weekend. It includes a county fair-style main event, with carnival rides, food and game booths, and group activities. In addition, a number of events are organized over the three-day weekend that include a kayak race, a marathon, an ultra-marathon, a 9.2-mile (14.8 km) mountain run called the Pillar Mountain Run and others.

Education

The city has four public elementary schools, one middle school and one high school as well as a branch of the University of Alaska. Within the public school district, there are eight rural schools. Kodiak Bears sports have a long tradition dating back into the 60's, when Joe Floyd was successful in coordinating high school athletics as well as intramural sports. He was a coach for several sports, as well as an athletic director for several years, before retiring and being replaced by James Couch. There have been a total of eight ASAA affiliated State Championships in the variety of 2 Boys Track, 1 Girls X-Country, 1 Girls Basketball, 1 Boys Basketball, 1 Boys Baseball, and most recently, a string of three consecutive titles in Boys Cross Country (2006–08). The boys cross country team was led by 3-time state individual champion Trevor Dunbar, who now runs for the University of Portland. Kristy Klinnert was the Alaska State Cross-Country Running Champion from 1983-1987. She set and still holds the State record in the 3200. For two years in a row, she won the State Championship in the mile and 3200. In 1986, Kristi was named the Alaska Sports Person of the Year.Kodiak is also home to Saint Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary, a theological school founded in 1972 under the auspices of the Orthodox Church in America. Students from villages all over southern and southwestern Alaska study at St. Herman's in order to become readers or clergy in the Orthodox Church.

Media

Customers line up in front of one of Kodiak's two movie theaters

• KUBD-LP (TV Channel 11), the local CBS and ION affiliate
• KMXT-LP (TV Channel 9), AlaskaOne
• KMXT (100.1 FM) the community public radio station
• KRXX (101.1 FM) commercial radio station
• KVOK (560 AM) country radio station and home of Kodiak Bears athletics
• Kodiak Daily Mirror (Monday through Friday newspaper)

Military installations

The United States Navy operates a small training base near the city called Naval Special Warfare Cold Weather Detachment Kodiak which trains United States Navy SEALs in cold weather survival and advanced tactics.

The U.S. Coast Guard has a major presence in Kodiak, Alaska.

• USCG Air Station Kodiak
• USCGC Alex Haley (WMEC-39)
• USCGC Spar (WLB-206)
• USCGC Munro (WHEC-724)
• Aids to Navigation Team Kodiak
• Communication Station Kodiak
• North Pacific Regional Training Center (NPRTC)
• Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak
• Naval Engineering Support Unit (NESU) Detachment Kodiak
• Electronic Systems Support Unit Kodiak (ESU)
• Loran Station Kodiak

External links

• Official Kodiak website
• Kodiak Official Guidebook from the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce
• Kodiak, Alaska at the Open Directory Project