"North to the Future"
I lived in Bethel and the villages for so long that I picked up the accent and mannerisms. Some think I am ethnically half Yupik Eskimo. I wanted to live the rest of my life with my friends. I'm doing this so my village friends can learn about their families. I do the whole village so they can see connections. Each village used to have an older woman who knew the history of the region and who was related to whom. I'm that person, in a way.
Early Alaska census estimates are incomplete, and in some cases, wild guestimates. During the period when Alaska was controlled by
Russian, various estimates of population were made, but only as to the lands that Russian controlled. Keep in mind that Russia only
controlled the coasts of southern Alaska. Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867.
1762
A Russian trader from Kamchatka reports that Kadiak Island (Kodiak Island) was thickly inhabited.
1768-1769 Captains Krenitzin and Levashef explored a few Aleutian islands and the coast of Western Alaska. They stated that the native population was reduced by half from what it was at the advent of the Russian fur hunter era.
1784 Grigor Shelikof, who was established on Kadiak Island (Kodiak) reported to the Russian Empress that Russian-America had 50,000 persons.
1792 Eurastratus Delarof made the first enumeration of the villages on Kadiak Island (Kodiak) and possibly one or two nearby villages on the mainland. Delarof enumerated 6510 persons.
1792 Captain Sarychef, of the exploring expedition of Admiral Joseph Billings reported 2500 natives (male and female) in the Aleutians. Several years later, and actual count by Nicholas Rezanof reduced this number to 1492.
1796 By order of Alexander Baranoff, the same lands enumerated by Delarof above, were counted. This enumeration showed 6200 persons.
1818 Captain Hagemeister of the Russian navy enumerated the natives over which the Russian American Company had total control. This enumeration shows an aggregate of 8893 (4452 males and 4441 females).
1819 Captain Hagemeister again shows substantially the same enumeration of 9019, plus an estimate of 5000 Thlingits, for a total of 14,019.
1822 Enumeration shows 8286 and omits the Thlingits, because Russia did not control them.
1825 Baron Wrangell, chief manager of the Russian colonies stated to the Russian government that the native population under his control was 8481 (both sexes).
1830 Veniaminof counted the Kadiak and Aleutians district. Kadiak had decreased from 6410 to 3396, and the Aleutian district had decreased from 1900 to 1460.
1831 Veniaminof conducted a complete enumeration of the Aleutian islands and gave a total of 1515 persons.
1836 Veniaminof, now stationed at Sitka, estimates the Thlingit population at 5850.
1839 Veniaminof estimates entire population of Alaska at 39,813, which proved to be fairly accurate.
1860 The Holy Synod published in its annual report a census of Christians in Russian America. This report showed 9845 (5127 males and 4718 females), exclusive of the Employees of the Russian American Company.
1862 10,156 persons were reported in Russian America in Tikhmenief's Historical Review.
1867 The United States purchased Alaska from Russia.
1868 US Major General H.W. Halleck and Rev Vincent Collyer come up with guestimates that are not considered reliable.
1870 No census taken, although there is an extant Sitka census taken by military officers.
1880 There is an extant Sitka census taken by military officers. There was a count of accessible villages and estimate of other settlements. No name lists survive, and it is not known if a name list ever existed.
1890 Census taken, but lost in fire.
1900 to present Census taken.
1ST DISTRICT - PART A Includes Hyder and Ketchika
1ST DISTRICT - PART B Includes Wrangell and St. Petersburg
1ST DISTRICT - PART C Includes Juneau area
1ST DISTRICT - PART D Includes Skagway
1ST DISTRICT - PART E Includes Sitka
2ND DISTRICT - PART A Includes Nome, Little Diomede Island, Noatuk, Tigera
2ND DISTRICT - PART B Includes Noatak-Kobuk Recording District, Port Clarence Rec. District, St. Michaels Rec. District, Wade Hampton Recording District, Selawik, Norvik, Kotzebue, Unalakleet, Point Lay, Wainwright, Barrow, Hooper Bay, Colville River etc.
3RD DISTRICT - PART A Includes Seward Recording Dist, Seward, Kenai Peninsula, Resurrection Bay, Valdez Rec. District, Valdez, Cordova Rec. District, Cordova, Copper River, Eyak Village, Abercrombie
3RD DISTRICT - PART B Includes Cordova Recording District, Katalla, Icy Bay, Prince William Sound, McCarthy Recording District, McCarthy, Kennecott, Chitina Recording Dist. Chitina, Gulkana, Paxon, Scotty Creek
3RD DISTRICT - PART C Anchorage, Eklutna, Matanuska, Chickaloon, Wasilla, Knik, Susitna, Talkeetna, Denali, Ninilchik and part Cook Inlet, Kenai, Kasilof, Eagle Rock etc.
3RD DISTRICT - PART D Seldovia Rec. District, Seldovia, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Iliamna Rec. District, Iliamna, Nondalton, Lake Clark, Bristol Bay Recording District, Wood River, Dillingham, Nelson Camp, Turnavik, etc.
3RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT AND 4TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT - PART A 3rd Judical District, Kodiak Recording District, Kanalak, Three Saints Bay, Old Harbor, McCord. 4th Judicial District, Unga Recording District, Aleutian Islands area, Perryville, Kupranoff, Belofski, Chignik, King Cove, Sand Point, etc.
3RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT AND 4TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT - PART B 3rd Judicial District, Aleutian Islands Rec. District, Akutan, , Nikolski, Unimak, St. George Island, St. Paul Island. 4th Judicial District, Fairbanks Rec. District, Fairbanks, Healy, Mansfield, Tanana River region, etc.
4TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT - PART C 4th Judicial District, Nenana Rec. District, Henson, Suntrana, Kantishna Rec. District, Mt. McKinley Rec. District, Takotna, McGrath, Crooked Creek, Stony, Bethel Recording District, Bethel Goodnews Bay, Eek, Oscarville, Kinak, Nightmute, Moravian Orphanage, Tunanak, Tuluksak, etc.
4TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT - PART D 4th Judicial District, Otter Recording District, Shageluk, Iditerod, Flat, Willow Creek, Discovery, Innoko Rec. District, Ophir, Cripple, Anvik River, Yukon River, Bonanza, Nulato, Holy Cross Jesuit Mission, Ruby, Galena, Koyokuk, Kaltag, Koyukuk Recording District, Wiseman, Bettles, Alatna, Chandalar Recording District, Pole Island, Analak, Barter Island, Beaver, Caro, Chandalar, Arctic Village, Fort Gibbon District, Tanana, Rowe Hall Native School, Hot Springs District, Hot Springs, Rampart Rec. District, Rampart, Stephen's Village, Tolovana Rec. District, Livengood, Fort Hamlin, Circle Recording District, Fort Yukon, Salmon, Old Rampart, Fishhook, Circle, Franklin, Fortymile Rec. District, Chicken, Ingle Creek and interesting narrative.
