Until the mid-18th century, the Alutiiq people enjoyed an undisturbed life in the Kodiak Archipelago. Everything they needed was here: waters rich in fish, seals, whales, and sea lions; land bursting with berries, birds, and mammals. For thousands of years, they lived in harmony with all that the sea and earth provided. Their peaceful life came to an end in 1784 when Russian settlers initiated an economy based on compulsory labor. Kodiak quickly became the commercial center for Russian fur trade and Alutiiq natives were used to hunt sea otters for benefit of the company. The treatment of the Alutiiq people was ruthless. The Russian American governor, Aleksandr A. Baranov, served in Kodiak for 34 years before leaving the island. Kodiak and other settlements began to falter as the sea otter populations declined which led to the United States purchasing Alaska from the Russians in 1867. With the sea otter population compromised, salmon became the economic staple. By the 1890s, canneries dotted the islands. Commercial fishing remains the economic mainstay of Kodiak. The most prominent legacy of the Russian era is the Russian orthodox religion. With its distinctive blue cupolas, the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral is a prominent fixture in downtown Kodiak and hosts an active congregation to this day. VOLCANOES, EARTHQUAKES, TSUNAMIS AND WAR Kodiak is no stranger to dramatic shifts in the landscape. In 1912 the people of Kodiak experienced the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century when Mt. Novarupta on the Alaska Peninsula. Nearly two feet of ash fell on Kodiak and its 500 residents. The “white sand” you see at many Kodiak beaches is volcanic ash laid down by this eruption. Kodiak’s landscape changed once again when it became a major staging area for North Pacific operations during World War II. Bunkers and gun emplacements were built at Chiniak, Long Island, and Ft. Abercrombie. Many of these structures are visible from the road and on trails throughout the island. Even a world war and the volcanic eruption was no match for the devastation that resulted from the largest earthquake in North American history. In 1964, a 9.2 magnitude temblor rocked Alaska. It triggered a series of tsunamis that devastated downtown Kodiak. Fishing boats vessels were tossed into the streets, buildings destroyed, and people displaced. The Army Corps of Engineers redesigned downtown into what you see today. KODIAK.ORG | 27
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