|
Dillingham Alaska
Location and Climate
Dillingham is located at the extreme northern end of
Nushagak Bay in northern Bristol Bay, at the confluence of
the Wood and Nushagak Rivers. It lies 327 miles southwest of
Anchorage, and is a 6 hour flight from Seattle. Dillingham
is located in the Bristol Bay Recording District. The area
encompasses 32.7 sq. miles of land and 2.1 sq. miles of
water. The primary climatic influence is maritime, however
the Arctic climate of the Interior also affects the Bristol
Bay coast. Average summer temperatures range from 37 to 66;
average winter temperatures range from 4 to 30. Annual
precipitation is 26 inches, with 65 inches of snow. Heavy
fog is common in July and August. Winds of up to 60-70 MPH
may occur between December and March. The Nushagak River is
ice-free from June through November.
History, Culture and Demographics
The area around Dillingham was inhabited by both Eskimos
and Athabascans and became a trade center when Russians
erected the Alexandrovski Redoubt (Post) in 1818. Local
Native groups and Natives from the Kuskokwim Region, the
Alaska Peninsula and Cook Inlet mixed together as they came
to visit or live at the post. The community was known as
Nushagak by 1837, when a Russian Orthodox mission was
established. In 1881 the U.S. Signal Corps established a
meteorological station at Nushagak. In 1884 the first salmon
cannery in the Bristol Bay region was constructed by Arctic
Packing Co., east of the site of modern-day Dillingham. Ten
more were established within the next seventeen years. The
post office at Snag Point and town were named after U.S.
Senator Paul Dillingham in 1904, who had toured Alaska
extensively with his Senate subcommittee during 1903. The
1918-19 influenza epidemic struck the region, and left no
more than 500 survivors. A hospital and orphanage were
established in Kanakanak after the epidemic, 6 miles from
the present-day City Center. The Dillingham townsite was
first surveyed in 1947.
Alaska Natives represent 55.8% of the population. A
federally recognized tribe is located in the community.
Traditionally a Native area, with Russian influences,
Dillingham is now a highly mixed population of non-Natives,
Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians. The outstanding commercial
fishing opportunities in the Bristol Bay area are the focus
of the local culture.
During the April 1990 U.S. Census, there were 851 total
housing units, and 160 of these were vacant. The official
unemployment rate at that time was 6.7%, with 841 jobs
estimated to be in the community and 37.7% of all adults not
in the work force. The median household income was $44,083,
and 9.5% of residents were living below the poverty
level.
Economy and Transportation
Dillingham is the economic, transportation, and public
service center for western Bristol Bay. Commercial fishing,
fish processing, cold storage and support of the fishing
industry are the primary activities. 269 residents hold
commercial fishing permits. During spring and summer, the
population doubles. The city's role as the regional center
for government and services helps to stabilize seasonal
employment. Many residents depend on subsistence activities,
and trapping of beaver, otter, mink, lynx and fox provide
cash income. Salmon, grayling, pike, moose, bear, caribou,
and berries are harvested.
Dillingham can be reached by air and sea. The State-owned
airport provides a 6,404' paved runway and Flight Service
Station, and regular jet flights are available from
Anchorage. A seaplane base is available 3 miles west at
Shannon's Pond; it is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management, Division of Lands. A heliport is available at
Kanakanak Hospital. There is a City-operated small boat
harbor with 320 slips, a dock, barge landing, boat launch,
and boat haul-out facilities. It is a tidal harbor and only
for seasonal use. Two barge lines make scheduled trips from
Seattle. There is a 23-mile DOT-maintained gravel road to
Aleknagik; it was first constructed in 1960.
< Back to Alaska
Communities
Source: Department of Community & Economic
Development
|
