Wrangell History Unlocked

In 1898, John Kadashan of Fort Wrangel was among the Tlingit leaders to confront Governor John G. Brady about their stolen fishing streams.

In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison received a letter written by the lawyer representing “the Indians of South Eastern Alaska.” It is recognized as the first legal step in the fight for Alaska Native land claims.

For the past six presidential races, voter turnout at Wrangell’s precinct has declined. Where did all the voters go?

To understand how Wrangell’s Alaska Packers Association cannery produced tons of canned salmon each year, here are the freshwater streams that provided the salmon.

The census is more than a number — it’s a story. Since 1839, twenty different censuses of Wrangell have shown its growth and resilience over time.

Following the Bombardment of Wrangell, Vincent Colyer published detailed artwork of Fort Wrangel and Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw which challenged the Army’s version of events.

While Wrangell has grown since 1869, many of the places mentioned in the Bombardment of Wrangell story can still be visited on foot today.

Wrangell boasts some of Alaska's most historic newspapers, dating back to 1885. These publications were instrumental in shaping the community's development and preserving a glimpse into its rich history.

In 1868, legendary photographer Eadward Muybridge took the first known photos in Wrangell history. His photos are a gateway to the past, a snapshot in time just after the U.S. Army arrived.

Rev. Sheldon Jackson's long legacy in Alaska began with a March 1877 letter by Josiah Sawyer Brown, a Fort Wrangel soldier.

Since statehood, Wrangell has voted on Alaska's delegate to the United States House of Representatives. Here are the results.

When the son of Chief Shakes mysteriously drowned in 1911, his family constructed a monument with an unforgettable epitaph.

Wrangell Memorial Cemetery was intended to be Wrangell’s final resting place, but it became a place that brought Wrangell to life.

The so-called “City Park Cemetery” is a small collection of headstones inside the south end of the park. Very little is written about this cemetery or how it began.

When Bill Taylor was a young boy, he accompanied his father on board the steamship Hattie Gage as it towed the Star of Bengal to sea. Thanks to advances in AI audio restoration, for the first time ever, you can now hear the story in his own words.

In the thick underbrush by Petroglyph Beach sits a cemetery known for an influential and historic Wrangell family, the Choquettes.

The grave of Kaawishté, the 5th Shakes of the Naan.yaa.áyi clan, is an important Wrangell landmark.

It just sits there. It doesn’t seem to be doing anything. And yet, it protects the beating heart of Wrangell. This is the story of the Etolin Harbor Breakwater.

Before the north end of Wrangell Island was an airport, it was a bay with a long history, including serving as home to an Alaska Packers Association cannery.