By Tim Lambert
The indigenous people of Southeast Alaska were the Tlingit. They were hunter-gatherers. They mostly depended on fishing for their livelihood, although they also hunted mammals like seals.
Aleksandr Baranov (1746-1819) was appointed the first Governor of Alaska by the Tsar in 1790. In 1799, he built a settlement called Fort St Michael on the site of Sitka. However, the Tlingit destroyed the fort in 1802. The Russians returned in 1804. They fought the Battle of Sitka with the Tlingit in October. Neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage, but the Tlingit withdrew, allowing the Russians to land. The Russians built a new settlement called New Archangel, but relations with the Tlingit remained tense.
In 1808, Sitka was made the capital of Alaska. It remained the capital until 1906.
In 1867, Secretary of State William Henry Seward signed a treaty to buy Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. A ceremony formally transferring the territory was held on Castle Hill in Sitka on 18 October 1867.
The Russian Bishop’s House was built in Sitka in 1842. St Michael’s Cathedral was first built in 1848. Unfortunately, it burned down in 1966, but it was reconstructed.
Sitka Lutheran Church was built in 1843. St Peters by the Sea Episcopal Church was built in 1899.
In 1880, the population of Sitka was 916. The little town was flourishing. Sheldon Jackson Museum was founded in 1888.
Sitka National Historical Park began in 1890 when President Benjamin Harrison made it a park. In 1910, it was made a national monument. In 1972, it became Sitka National Historical Park.
The Hanlon-Osbakken House was built in 1896. May Mills House was built in 1913. Sitka Pioneer Home was built in 1934.
The Alaska Native Brotherhood was formed in 1912 to fight racism. In Sitka, the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall was built in 1914.
Sitka was incorporated as a city in 1913. In 1900, the population of Sitka was just under 1,400. However, it declined slightly to just over 1,000 in 1930. The population of Sitka rose during the 1930s, and in 1940 it was a little under 1,900.
A navy seaplane base was built on Japonski Island in 1937. In 1942, it was made a Naval Operating Base. It was decommissioned in 1944.
Also in 1942, the famous Totem Pole in Totem Square was erected.
Sitka Blockhouse is a replica of an early 19th-century Russian blockhouse. It was erected in 1962.
Mount Edgcumbe High School was established in 1947. Sitka Community Hospital was built in 1956. The Sitka History Museum opened in 1967. Also in 1967, the Harrigan Centennial Hall was built.
Rocky Gutierrez Airport opened in 1969. It was named after a former mayor of Sitka. The John O’Connell Bridge, built in 1972, connects Baranof Island with Japonski Island. It too was named after former mayor John O’Connell.
Alaska Raptor Center was founded in 1980. Sitka Fortress of the Bear was founded in 2003. Sitka Sound Science Center was founded in 2007.
In 1950, the population of Sitka was still under 2,000, but it rose rapidly. In 1970, the population was about 6,100. In 2025, it was about 8,200.
Today, fishing, canning, lumbering, and tourism are important industries in Sitka.
The Russian Cathedral in Sitka