Klawock, Alaska
Klawock
Lawáak | |
|---|---|
 North Pacific Trading and Packing cannery in Klawak, early 20th century | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Site of the First Salmon Cannery in Alaska | |
| Motto: kla-na-kee-duk | |
  Klawock Location in Alaska | |
| Coordinates:55°33′18″N133°05′07″W/ 55.55500°N 133.08528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Unorganized |
| Census area | Prince of Wales–Hyder |
| Founded | 1868 |
| Incorporated | October 29, 1929[1] |
| Government | |
| •Mayor | Donald Nickerson Jr.[2] |
| •State senator | Bert Stedman(R) |
| •State rep. | Rebecca Himschoot(I) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.97 sq mi (2.52 km2) |
| • Land | 0.68 sq mi (1.76 km2) |
| • Water | 0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2) 34.83% |
| Elevation | 79 ft (24 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 720 |
| • Density | 1,057.27/sq mi (408.32/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9(AKST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8(AKDT) |
| Zip code | 99925 |
| Area code | 907 |
| FIPScode | 02-40400 |
| GNISfeature ID | 1423100 |
| Website | www |
Klawock(Tlingit:Lawáak) is a city inPrince of Wales–Hyder Census Area,in the U.S. state ofAlaska,on the west coast ofPrince of Wales Island,onKlawock Inlet,across fromKlawock Island.The population was 755 at the2010 census,down from 854 in 2000. It is located 90 kilometres (56 mi) fromKetchikan,11 kilometres (6.8 mi) fromCraig,and 39 kilometres (24 mi) fromHollis.
History[edit]
Klawock's first settlers wereTlingitwho came from the northern winter village of Tuxekan. They used it as a fishing camp for the summer period, and called it by several different names: Klawerak, Tlevak, Clevak, and Klawak. The name "Klawock" is derived from theTlingitnameLawá,the man who founded the community.[4]In 1853 a Russian navigator referred to the village as "Klyakkhan", and in 1855 as "Thlewakh".[5]
In 1868, European Americans opened atrading postand asalmonsaltery; some years later, in 1878, a San Francisco firm opened the first cannery in Alaska. In the following decades, several others were established. A United Statespost officewas established in 1882. The 1890 census recorded the town's population as 260.
TheAlaska Native Brotherhood(ANB) andAlaska Native Sisterhood(ANS), nonprofit organizations working for civil rights ofAlaska Natives,were established by residents in 1912. Its founders and many volunteers built the Town Hall and a community center in 1939, during theGreat Depression.
In 1929 the town was incorporated as a city, and in 1934Congressawarded federal funding for the expansion of the cannery, on the condition that the community remains liquor-free. At the same time, the Klawock Cooperative Association (a nonprofit organization) was formed to manage the cannery.
Geography[edit]
Klawock is located at55°33′18″N133°05′07″W/ 55.55500°N 133.08528°W.[6]According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2), of which, 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (34.83%) is water.
Climate[edit]
Klawock has a warm summeroceanic climate.
| Climate data for Klawock, Alaska (Klawock Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1997–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
58 (14) |
71 (22) |
81 (27) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
94 (34) |
84 (29) |
83 (28) |
68 (20) |
59 (15) |
66 (19) |
94 (34) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 51.2 (10.7) |
51.4 (10.8) |
56.2 (13.4) |
62.7 (17.1) |
73.5 (23.1) |
74.0 (23.3) |
74.1 (23.4) |
73.7 (23.2) |
72.3 (22.4) |
61.3 (16.3) |
52.1 (11.2) |
50.0 (10.0) |
80.0 (26.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.5 (4.2) |
41.3 (5.2) |
44.3 (6.8) |
50.7 (10.4) |
56.8 (13.8) |
60.5 (15.8) |
63.1 (17.3) |
64.3 (17.9) |
59.8 (15.4) |
51.7 (10.9) |
43.5 (6.4) |
40.1 (4.5) |
51.3 (10.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 35.3 (1.8) |
35.9 (2.2) |
37.8 (3.2) |
42.9 (6.1) |
49.0 (9.4) |
53.4 (11.9) |
56.9 (13.8) |
57.5 (14.2) |
53.3 (11.8) |
45.7 (7.6) |
38.9 (3.8) |
35.7 (2.1) |
45.2 (7.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.1 (−0.5) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
35.2 (1.8) |
41.1 (5.1) |
46.4 (8.0) |
50.6 (10.3) |
50.6 (10.3) |
46.8 (8.2) |
39.7 (4.3) |
34.3 (1.3) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
39.1 (3.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 16.8 (−8.4) |
17.6 (−8.0) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
32.5 (0.3) |
39.0 (3.9) |
44.8 (7.1) |
44.9 (7.2) |
36.5 (2.5) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −11 (−24) |
−9 (−23) |
−6 (−21) |
10 (−12) |
27 (−3) |
33 (1) |
39 (4) |
37 (3) |
27 (−3) |
2 (−17) |
−4 (−20) |
−3 (−19) |
−11 (−24) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 8.65 (220) |
6.33 (161) |
6.82 (173) |
5.51 (140) |
4.10 (104) |
3.41 (87) |
4.27 (108) |
6.79 (172) |
10.72 (272) |
12.33 (313) |
10.17 (258) |
10.10 (257) |
89.20 (2,266) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 22.4 | 17.7 | 21.1 | 19.8 | 18.2 | 17.5 | 18.5 | 19.1 | 21.5 | 23.6 | 22.9 | 22.2 | 244.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020)[8] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[edit]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 27 | — | |
| 1890 | 287 | 963.0% | |
| 1900 | 131 | −54.4% | |
| 1910 | 241 | 84.0% | |
| 1920 | 19 | −92.1% | |
| 1930 | 437 | 2,200.0% | |
| 1940 | 455 | 4.1% | |
| 1950 | 404 | −11.2% | |
| 1960 | 251 | −37.9% | |
| 1970 | 213 | −15.1% | |
| 1980 | 318 | 49.3% | |
| 1990 | 722 | 127.0% | |
| 2000 | 854 | 18.3% | |
| 2010 | 755 | −11.6% | |
| 2020 | 720 | −4.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
Klawock first appeared on the1880 U.S. Censusas the unincorporated Tlingit village of "Klawak." It continued to report as Klawak in 1890–1910, with the alternative spelling of "Klawock" first appearing in the latter census. In 1920, it was reported exclusively as Klawock. In 1929, it was officially incorporated.
As of the census[10]of 2000, there were 854 people, 313 households, and 215 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,465.4 inhabitants per square mile (565.8/km2). There were 368 housing units at an average density of 631.4 per square mile (243.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 40.98%White,50.94%Native American,0.47%Asian,0.12%Pacific Islander,0.12% fromother races,and 7.38% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population wereHispanicorLatinoof any race.
There were 313 households, out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 30.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 124.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $38,839. Males had a median income of $38,977 versus $23,036 for females. Theper capita incomefor the city was $14,621. About 13.6% of families and 14.3% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Tourism[edit]
Klawock has the oldesthatcheryin Alaska. This industry enhances the runs of salmon, includingsockeye,coho,andsteelhead.A sawmill and arealoggingoperations are located here.
Klawock has a harbor, often used by tourists as a departure point for trips or boating exploration of the bays, inlets, and surrounding islands.
Each February 16, the ANB/ANS organizations sponsor the "Elizabeth PeratrovichCelebration "with ceremonies and a potluck, honoring the anniversary of the passage of the landmark legislation. The city also sponsors a summer festival, the" Celebration by the Sea. "
A Totem Park has 21totem poles,one of the largest collections in Alaska: it displays original and replica totems from the old village ofTuxekan.The city built a carving shed to house the poles during restoration, which can be visited. In 1998 the city commissioned the construction of a Long House (namedGaanì Ax Adi) with a new totem pole.
A cruise ship port opened in Klawock in May, 2024. The first ship to dock there was theSeabourn Odyssey,on an 80 day cruise that began inSydney.The facility is owned and operated byTlingitcompanies. [11]
Law and government[edit]
There is a mayor and a council, but the city is not located in anyborough.The local government manages the water, wastewater, refuse collection, trailer court, landfill, boat harbor, liquor store, and boat ramp utilities. There is a local sales tax of 5.5%, of which 0.5% is devoted to education, and no property tax.
There are four full-time police officers. There is also a volunteer fire department with 27 members, anEMSsquad of 6-8 trained volunteers, and a search and rescue office (serving all of Prince of Wales Island) with 57 members.
Education[edit]
There is a school with grades K-6 and ahigh schoolwith grades 7-12 both administered by theKlawock City School District[permanent dead link].On average, 200 students are enrolled yearly. TheHead Startschool (three- to four-year-olds) is run by the Tlingit andHaidaCentral Council.
Transportation[edit]
Airport[edit]
The 5,000 foot and pavedKlawock Airportis the only airport on Prince of Wales Island and serves as the air transport gateway for nearbyCraigas well. It receives charters and daily scheduled passenger service fromKetchikanfromIsland Air Express.Alaska Seaplanes provides flights from Juneau and Sitka.
Ferry[edit]
Ferry service is available through theInter-Island Ferry Authorityfrom either Prince of Wales Island communities ofHollis(M/VPrince of Wales,with service to Ketchikan) orCoffman Cove(M/VStikine,with service toWrangellorPetersburg) which are both accessible through Prince of Wales' road system.
Notable people[edit]
- Frank Peratrovich(1895–1984), then-mayor of Klawock and later president of the ANB, became one of the 55 delegates to theAlaska ConstitutionalConvention in 1955
- Elizabeth Peratrovich(1911–1958), sister-in-law of Frank, president of theAlaska Native Sisterhood(ANS), worked in the 1940s on anti-discrimination legislation. She is credited with gaining Senate approval in 1945 due to her passionate testimony about the effects of discrimination. The state has recognized her contribution, naming February 16 and Gallery B of the State Capitol in her honor
References[edit]
- ^1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory.Juneau:Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs.January 1996. p. 82.
- ^2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory.Juneau: Alaska Municipal League. 2015. p. 88.
- ^"2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 29,2021.
- ^Haa Léelk'w Hás Aaní Saax'ú / Our Grandparents' Names on the Land.Seattle: University of Washington Press. 2010. p. 168.
- ^Bright, William(2004).Native American Placenames of the United States.University of Oklahoma Press. p. 229.ISBN978-0-8061-3598-4.RetrievedJune 12,2013.
- ^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".United States Census Bureau.February 12, 2011.RetrievedApril 23,2011.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Klawock AP, AK".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedMarch 7,2023.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Juneau".National Weather Service.RetrievedMarch 7,2023.
- ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^Darrell, Jack (May 17, 2024)."Klawock hopes for an economic boost as it welcomes cruise ships for the first time".Alaska Public Media.RetrievedJune 14,2024.
External links[edit]
Municipalities and communities ofPrince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated community | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
