Hyder, Alaska
Hyder, Alaska | |
|---|---|
 The border between Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, as seen from the Canadian side. | |
 Location of Hyder, Alaska. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.8 sq mi (38.4 km2) |
| • Land | 14.8 sq mi (38.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 118 ft (36 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 97 |
| • Density | 6.5/sq mi (2.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Official time: Alaska (AKST)[1] Unofficial time: PST[2] |
| • Summer (DST) | Official time: AKDT[1] Unofficial time: PDT[2] |
| ZIP Code | 99923 |
| Area code | 250 |
| FIPS code | 02-34570 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1422711 |
Hyder is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 97. The population dropped to 87 for the 2010 census.[3] Hyder has achieved fame as a point in Alaska accessible to automobile and motorbike travelers in Canada who want to say that they have been to Alaska. Hyder is also recognized as the easternmost town in Alaska.
Geography
Hyder is located at the head of the Portland Canal, a 71-mile (114 km) long fjord which forms a portion of the border between the U.S. and Canada at the southeastern edge of the Alaska Panhandle. Hyder is about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Stewart, British Columbia by road, and 75 miles (121 km) from Ketchikan by air.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38 km2), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 97 people, 47 households, and 25 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 6.5 people per square mile (2.5/km²). There were 72 housing units at an average density of 4.9 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93 White, and 4 from two or more races. There was 1 Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 47 households out of which 9 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24 were married couples living together, 1 had a female householder with no husband present, and 21 were non-families. 19 of all households were made up of individuals and 3 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.81.
The age distribution was 18 under 18, 11 from 18 to 24, 16 from 25 to 44, 45 from 45 to 64, and 7 who were 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. There were 44 females and 53 males, of them 34 females were age 18 and over, as were 45 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was U.S.$11,719, and the median income for a family was U.S.$30,500. Males had a median income of U.S.$56,250 versus U.S.$13,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was U.S.$11,491. There were 44.4% of families and 54.1% of the population living below the poverty line, including 81.0% under 18, and 50.0% over 64.[citation needed]
Transportation
Stewart, British Columbia is 2 miles (3.2 km) away by road. The AMHS ferry that used to connect Hyder to Ketchikan stopped running in the 1990s, leaving the only public transportation between Hyder and the rest of Alaska the Taquan Air floatplane that arrives twice a week with U.S. Mail.[4][5]
History
The Nisga'a, who lived around the Nass River, called the head of Portland Canal "Skam-A-Kounst," meaning safe place, probably because it served them as a retreat from the harassment of the Haidas on the coast. They traveled in the area seasonally to pick berries and hunt birds.
The area around the Portland Canal was explored in 1896 by Captain D.D. Gaillard of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In 1898, gold and silver lodes were discovered in the region, mainly on the Canadian side, in the upper Salmon River basin. The Stewart brothers, for whom the British Columbia town was named, arrived in 1902.
Hyder was originally called Portland City, after the canal. In 1914, when the U.S. Postal Service told residents that there were many U.S. communities named Portland, it was renamed Hyder, after Frederick Hyder, a Canadian mining engineer who envisioned a bright future for the area. Hyder was the only practical point of access to the silver mines in Canada; the community became the port, supply point, and post office for miners by 1917. Hyder's boom years were the 1920s, when the Riverside Mine on the U.S. side extracted gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and tungsten. The mine operated from 1924 to 1950.
In 1948, the abandoned part of Hyder, which was built on pilings, was destroyed by fire. By 1956 all significant mining had ceased, except for the Granduc Copper Mine on the Canadian side, which operated until 1984. Currently, Westmin Resources Ltd. operates the only remaining mine in the area, a gold-and-silver mine on the Canadian side.
Destination Hyder
Hyder is accessible by highway from Stewart, British Columbia, which connects with the British Columbia highway system. Hyder became popular with long distance motorcycle riders in 1998 when author Ron Ayres set a record of riding to the contiguous 48 states in six days. Ayres went on to add to the 48 state record by continuing on to Hyder, Alaska to establish a new 49-state record of 7 days, 0 hours and 20 minutes. Ayres named the new long distance ride the "48 Plus" and the 49-state ride has become very popular with members of the long distance motorcycle riding Iron Butt Association.
Hyder is also the location of the annual "Hyder-Seek" gathering of long-distance motorcyclists who travel from all over North America each Memorial Day weekend.
Local notoriety
Hyder has some notoriety as the place where people become "Hyderized."[6][7] Two of the town's bars issue certifications to patrons of being "Hyderized" if the patron consumes a shot of 150 proof (75% alcohol) Everclear.
Canadian and British Columbian influence on culture
Hyder is notable for being the only place in Alaska not to use the 907 area code, instead using British Columbia's 250. Tourists also find that Hyder uses the Pacific Time Zone, the "preferred" currency is Canadian (except the U.S. Post Office, which accepts only American currency), observes Canadian holidays, send their children to a Canadian school,[8] and calling the police means a Canadian Mountie will respond.[4] Electricity comes from Canada, as the local electric utility is Canada's BC Hydro.[3]
Aerial photos and maps
- Hyder, Alaska is at coordinates 55°54′51″N 130°1′27.7″W / 55.91417°N 130.024361°W
- Google (5 February 2012). "satellite view of Hyder, Alaska and Stewart, BC" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 5 February 2012. (requires Javascript)
See also
References
- ^ a b
"Hyder, Alaska current local time and time zone". Retrieved 5 February 2012.
Hyder, Alaska is in the Alaska Time Zone
- ^ a b
"Stewart, British Columbia current local time and time zone". Retrieved 5 February 2012.
Stewart, British Columbia is in the Pacific Time Zone
- ^ a b
"Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs. Alaska Community Database Community Information Summaries (CIS). Hyder". State of Alaska. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
During the Prohibition era, a small community called 'Hyder, BC' was created just across the Canadian border to serve as a legal speakeasy to the Hyder mining community, even housing its own Canadian Customs office.
- ^ a b
Paul Whitfield (26 April 2004). Rough guide to Alaska. Rough Guides. p. 97. ISBN 9781843532583. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
...it shares a Canadian phone code (250), time zone, Canadian currency (though greenbacks are also accepted), and Canadian national holidays.
- ^ "Taquan Air's Inside Passage Flight Schedule: Summer 2011". Taquan Air. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
- ^ "Hyderized And Confused". Forbes.
- ^ Steffens, Daneet (21 June 2002). "Travelogue – EW.com". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^
Lauren Birch, Superintendent (21 April 2010). "10B2 letter to coastal mtn sd.pdf". Thorne Bay, Alaska: Southeast Island School District. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
Southeast Island School District would like to request that Hyder students be allowed to continue attending Bear Valley School in Stewart for the 2010-2011 school year...Hyder only has three students...
External links
55°54′51″N 130°1′27.7″W / 55.91417°N 130.024361°W
Municipalities and communities of Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated community | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||