Wrangell History Unlocked
Wrangell History Unlocked is an ongoing project to document the history of Wrangell, Alaska — one story at a time.
Wrangell, Alaska sits near the mouth of the Stikine River, an ancient passageway for Tlingit, Haida, Tahltan, Tsimshian, and other Indigenous people. These groups continue to live on their ancestral land, and their history influences and touches every topic in Wrangell history.
The idea of Wrangell has evolved over time. To the Tlingit, it was Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw, a village wrapped inside the harbor. To the Russians in 1834, it was Redoubt Saint Dionysius, a trading post. The British took over the trading post and made the name Fort Stikine. But in 1868, the US Army brought the name that stuck: Fort Wrangel.
As one of the earliest American settlements in Alaska, Wrangell is a place of historic firsts, landmark achievements, and iconic figures of Alaska history. Topics related to Wrangell history continue to be important issues of discussion today.
(Banner and Background photo credit: Ryan M. Long)
New Blog Post:
Reading Wrangell’s
Historic Newspapers
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. Read more
On The Blog:
Capturing
Wrangell
The Photographs of Eadweard Muybridge
1869 Bombardment of Wrangell
BLOG: “Repugnance and Reluctance:” The Personnel Files of Lt. Melville Loucks.
BLOG: The Man Who Bombed Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw
BLOG: Shot In the Dark: Finding Smith & Lear’s Trading Post
PODCAST: Episodes, research, and timeline
1870s The ArmY Era
PODCAST: In 1874, a scandal exploded when a career-criminal from Portland became the customs office for Fort Wrangel.
PODCAST: When world-renowned naturalist John Muir arrived in Fort Wrangel, his life changed forever.
PODCAST: The sad story of John Boyd, a gold-miner who was tried for murder in Fort Wrangel for cold-blooded murder.
PODCAST: The true life story of William King Lear, an influential Wrangell merchant who saw much change.
1908 Wreck of the Star of Bengal
BLOG: Original audio of Bill Taylor telling his eyewitness account from aboard the Hattie Gage.
BLOG: A history of Labouchere Bay, the site of Wrangell’s APA cannery and the modern-day Wrangell Airport.
PODCAST: An unearthed, original audio recording of James Kennedy telling the story from the steamer Kayak.
PODCAST: Episodes, research, and timeline
The Roaring 1920s
PODCAST: The landmark legal case that defined voting rights for Alaska Natives.
BLOG: A curios trading post for tourists that left Wrangell without its cuture.
BLOG: How the construction of a breakwater for Etolin Harbor changed life.
PODCAST: The true story of the 1921 murder of Harry Nakamoto.
MORE TOPICS
Researching the
The Mystery of
The Fire On the Mountain
How It Got Its Name
Getting Around
Who Killed
The Letter That Brought
Killer Whale Grave Totem