ALASKA GENWEB PROJECT
NORTHWEST ARCTIC BOROUGH, ALASKA
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ALASKA GENWEB PROJECTNORTHWEST ARCTIC BOROUGH, ALASKA |
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| Welcome to to the Alaska GenWeb Project. I'm Gregory Vaughn, your Northwest Arctic Borough Coordinator. All that means is that I handle the computer end of things. Please feel free to make this site your own. You are welcome to submit any data, photos, or other information that you think would be helpful for genealogical researchers. Items can be submitted as Word documents, Excel Documents, or scans. | ||
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | Under development. Please submit any good local history sources that you are aware of. | ||
| BIOGRAPHIES | Under development. | ||
| CEMETERIES & FUNERAL HOMES | Under development. | ||
| CHURCHES | Under development. | ||
| DEEDS | |||
| Barbara
Smith, Kotzebue Recorder 1648 S. Cushman St., #201 Fairbanks, AK 99701-6206 (907) 452-3521 (Fax) 452-2951 |
Kotzebue
Recording District Covers: Ambler * Bornite * Callahan S.C. * Ebeokvik * Gabolio * Hunt River S.C. * Kalla * Kiana * Kivalina * Kobuk * Kotzebue * Lukes Cabin * Nauyoaruk * Nilik * Noatak * Noatak S.C. * Noorvik * Okok Point * Pitkim S.C. * Reindeer Station * Riley Jims Cabin * Selawik * Sheshalik * Shungnak * Shungnak Village * Talikoot (Aband) * Tikizat * Ungayookot * Utonok |
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| GEN
CONNECT ANCESTRY QUERY / MESSAGE BOARDS |
These have been upgraded and combined with the Ancestry Boards. Post/View queries, bios, bible records, deeds, obits, pensions, and wills here. These are a valuable resource and all genealogists need to learn how to use them. | ||
| ALASKA HISTORY TIMELINE | A brief timeline to help you figure out what happened and when. | ||
| MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES & HISTORICAL/GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES | Under development. | ||
| LOOKUPS AND VOLUNTEERS | We need you! Please consider offer to submit materials or do lookups in books. | ||
| MAPS | Under development | ||
| NEWSPAPERS | This shows what newspapers were available and when. | ||
| Candle | Kotzebue | ||
| PHOTOS | Under development. Feel free to submit your photos for posting. | ||
| PIONEERS | Under development. | ||
| RESOURCES | Northwest
Arctic Borough 163 Lagoon Street P.O. Box 1110 Kotzebue, Alaska 99752 Phone: (907)442-2500 Fax: (907)442-2930 |
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| SURNAMES | Research your family name through the Ancestry.com surname boards | ||
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TOWNS, VILLAGES
& POPULATED PLACES |
Ambler Pop. 309 |
Ambler
is a city in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000
census the population was 309. The city is located in the large Inupiaq
language speaking region of Alaska, and the local dialect is known as the
Ambler dialect (related to the Shugnak dialect). As of 1999, over 91% of
the community speaks and understands the language (Kraus, 1999), with many
young children actively learning the language in school. Ambler is located on the north bank of the Kobuk River, near the confluence of the Ambler and the Kobuk Rivers. It lies 45 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It is 138 miles northeast of Kotzebue, 30 miles northwest of northwest of Kobuk and 30 miles downriver from Shungnak. Ambler is located in the Kotzebue Recording District. The community was named for a tributary of the Kobuk River, which was named for Dr.James M. Ambler, who died of starvation after his ship was trapped in the Arctic ice in 1881. Ambler was permanently settled in 1958 when people from Shungnak and Kobuk moved upstream because of the variety of fish, wild game and spruce trees in the area. An archaeological site is located nearby at Onion Portage. A post office was established in 1963. The City was incorporated in 1971. Ambler's major means of transportation are by barge, plane, small boat and snowmachine. There are no roads linking the City to other parts of the state. Cash employment is limited to the school, City, clinic, and local stores, and some mining occurs. Five residents hold commercial fishing permits. Subsistence is a major part of the local economy. Chum salmon and caribou are the most important food sources. Freshwater fish, moose, bear, and berries are also harvested. Birch baskets, fur pelts, and jade, quartz, bone and ivory carvings are sold in gift shops throughout the state. The community is interested in developing a lapidary facility for local artisans |
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| Bornite | No information except that it is located on USGS Ambler River A-2 map. | ||
| Buckland
Pop. 406 |
Eskimo village and trading post reported by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1914. Its population was 52 in 1920; 104 in 1930; and 115 in 1940. The Buckland post office was established here in 1935 and discontinued about 1941. The present Buckland post office is located at Elephant Point. Located on Buckland River, 54 mi. N of Haycock | ||
| Candle
Pop.103 |
Mining
camp established about 1901-2 and named for Candle Creek; published by U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS). Its population was 204 in 1910; 91 in 1920; 85
in 1930; 119 in 1939; and 105 in 1950. The Candle post office was established
in 1902. Located on left bank of Kiwalik River, 54 mi. NW of Haycock, Seward Peninsula High. |
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| Chicago Creek | Site of a mining camp; named on a 1951 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) map. A coal mine was opened here in 1903 and for many years supplied coal to the Candle Creek and Fairhaven gold mining districts. Located on right bank of Kugruk River, 29 mi. NE of Imuruk Lake | ||
| Deering
Pop. 95 |
The village was established in 1901 as a supply station for interior gold mining near the historic Malemiut Eskimo village of Inmachukmiut. The name probably comes from the schooner Abbie M. Deering, which was present in the area at that time. A post office was located here in 1901. The inhabitants are primarily Iñupiat Eskimo. It is located on a sandy spit on the Seward Peninsula where the Inmachuk River flows into Kotzebue Sound, 57 mi southwest of Kotzebue. | ||
| Elephant
Point Pop. 87 |
Located on a spit on S coast of Eschscholtz Bay, 44 mi. SW of Selawik | ||
| Espenberg | Name of
a settlement reported in 1950 by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Recent U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) maps indicate a site with five or six buildings.
Name derived from nearby Cape Espenberg. Located on Seward Peninsula, at
mouth of Espenberg River, on Chukchi Sea, 50 mi. NW of Deering. |
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| Fink Creek | Reported in 1923 on an Alaska Road Commission (ARC) map. Located on left bank Inmachuk River, 1 mi. SW of Utica and 20 mi. NNE of Imuruk Lake, Seward Peninsula High. | ||
| Kalla
(historical) |
Former Eskimo village visited in 1885 by Lieutenant G. M. Stoney, U.S. Navy (USN). He wrote the name "Kallamute," i.e. "Kalla people." Located on right bank of Kobuk River, 14 mi. E of Shungnak. | ||
| Kiana | Eskimo village, which probably obtained its permanency as a supply center for the Squirrel River placer mines about 1909. Reported by H.M. Eakin, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in 1910; was established in 1915. Population 181 in 1950. Located on the right bank of Kobuk River, 28 mi. NW of Selawik. | ||
| Kivalina | Eskimo
village originally located at the north end of the lagoon. Reported in 1847
by Lieutenant L.A. Zagoskin, Imperial Russian Navy (IRN), who gave its name
as "Kivualinagmut". The village population was 87 in 1920, 99
in 1930, 98 in 1939, and 117 in 1950. The post office was established in
1940. Located on barrier reef between Chukchi and Kivalina Lagoon, 43 mi
NW of Noatak and 47 mi NW of Cape Krusenstern. It has long been a stopping place for travelers between Arctic coastal areas and Kotzebue Sound communities. Three bodies and artifacts were found in 2009 representing the Ipiutak culture, a pre-Thule, non-whaling civilization that disappeared over a millenium ago. It is the only village in the region where people hunt the bowhead whale. The original village was located at the north end of the Kivalina Lagoon but was relocated. In about 1900, reindeer were brought to the area and some people were trained as reindeer herders. |
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| Kiwalik
Pop. 10 |
Eskimo village named for the Kiwalik River, reported in 1850 as "Kualiug-miut" by Lieutenant L. A. Zagoskin, Imperial Russian Navy (IRN), and published in 1852 on Russian Hydrographic Dept. Chart 1455. Census as "Kugalukmute," population 12. became a supply point for mining activities in the Candle area. The Keewalik post office was established in 1902 and operated intermittently until 1907. increased to 24 in 1940. Located on NE coast of Seward Peninsula, between Spafarief Bay and Kiwalik Lagoon. | ||
| Klery Creek | Name reported on a 1923 Alaska Road Commission (ARC) map. Located on Klery Creek, at mouth of Jack Creek W of Kallarichuk Hills and 20 mi. NE of Deviation Peak, Brooks Range | ||
| Kobuk
Pop. 54 |
Village established about 1899 as a supply point for the mining activities in the Cosmos Hills to the north. It was then called Shungnak. Because the village was the location of a trading post, school, and Friends mission, it became primarily an Eskimo settlement by 1910. Due to river erosion the population of Shungnak decided to relocate at a new site called "Kochuk" about 10 miles downstream in the 1920's. The few families that remained behind, and some who returned, renamed the village "Kobuk." The Shungnak post office was established in 1903; the name was changed to Kobuk in 1928. In May 1973, a flood covered the entire village.The economy of Kobuk is based on subsistence hunting for caribou and moose. Located on right bank of Kobuk River 7 mi. NE of Shungnak | ||
| Kotzebue Pop. 1290 |
Kotzebue
is the Borough Seat and largest city in the Northwest Arctic Borough. It
gets its name from the Kotzebue Sound, which was named after Otto von Kotzebue,
who explored the sound while searching for the Northwest Passage in the
service of Russia in 1818. Established as a permanent Eskimo village when
a reindeer station was located here about 1897. Prior to then, it was a
summer fish camp, first mentioned by Lieutenant Zagoskin (1847, pt. 1, p.
74), Imperial Russian Navy (IRN), who recorded the name as "Kikikhtagyut."
The 1880 Census lists the name as "Kikiktagamute," A post office
was established in 1899. A Society of Friends mission was founded the same
year. There is archaeological evidence that Inupiat people have lived at Kotzebue since at least the 1400s. Because of its location, Kotzebue was a trading and gathering center for the entire area. The Noatak, Selawik and Kobuk Rivers drain into the Kotzebue Sound near Kotzebue to form a center for transportation to points inland. In addition to people from interior villages, inhabitants of the Russian Far East came to trade at Kotzebue. Furs, seal-oil, hides, rifles, ammunition, and seal skins were some of the items traded. People also gathered for competitions like the current World Eskimo Indian Olympics [3]. With the arrival of the whalers, traders, gold seekers, and missionaries the trading center expanded. Kotzebue, was known
by natives as Kikiktagruk or Qikiqtagruk, which means "almost
an island" in Inupiaq, the language of the Inupiat, which
is a reference to the spit. Reindeer herding was introduced in the area
in 1897. Although Alaska had caribou, the wild form of reindeer, the domesticated
reindeer were brought to Alaska from Asia. John Baker and Ed Iten, both
top 10 finishers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, are residents of
Kotzebue. |
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| Noatak
Pop. 428 |
Eskimo village listed by Ivan Petroff in the 1880 Census as "Noatagamute," i.e. "Noatak (River) people." Noatak was established as a fishing and hunting camp in the 1800s. Two identifiable groups of Inupiat resided on the Noatak River. The Nautaagmiut (called "Noatagamut" in the 1880 census), Inupiaq for "inland river people", lived upriver, and the Napaaqtugmiut, meaning "people of the trees", lived downriver. By the early 20th century, the missionaries Robert and Carrie Samms settled in what they called "Noatak". The Noatak post office was established in 1940. Located on right bank of Noatak River, 37 mi. NE of Cape Krusenstern | ||
| Noorvik
Pop. 384 |
Eskimo village, at or near a camp or village, called "Oksik" on a manuscript map dated 1908, by an unknown author. The Noorvik post office was established in 1937. Located on right bank of Nazuruk Channel Kobuk River, 33 mi. NW of Selawik. Noorvik means "a place that is moved to" in Inupiaq. The village was established by Kowagmuit Inupiat fishermen and hunters from Deering in the early 1900s. Other settlers came from Oksik, a few miles upriver. | ||
| Old Kotzebue | Site of an Eskimo village reported in 1953 by J. W. Van Stone. Located near mouth of Kobuk River, about 30 mi. E of Kotzebue. | ||
| Red
Dog Mine Pop. 32 |
The Red Dog Mine CDP derives its name from the Red Dog mine, the world's largest source for zinc and a significant source of lead. Construction of the Red Dog mine began in 1987, after exploration revealed that the area was rich in metals. Although native populations have historically used the nearby area for seasonal food-gathering, there are no permanent residents at the mine or the port site. The mine's workforce consists of about 460 employees and contractors, of which somewhat more than half will be on-site at any given time. At the mine, everyone stays in the single large housing unit, tucked in among the process buildings near the edge of the open pit, while a small portion of the work force stays at the port site. A 52-mile long haul road connects the mine to the mine's port site on the Chukchi Sea. The region is accessible only by air, except during the 100-day shipping season. Mine workers from remote villages in the region are ferried to the mine on small aircraft. | ||
| Selawik
Pop. 348 |
Eskimo village or tribe reported in 1842-44 by Lieutenant L. A. Zagoskin, Imperial Russian Navy (IRN), who spelled it "Chilivik." 1880 U.S. Census lists the Selawik people, i.e., "Selawigamute". Selawik post office was established in 1930. The people and the village probably took their name from the nearby lake or river. Around 1908, the village site had a small wooden schoolhouse and church. The village now has expanded across the Selawik River onto three banks, linked by bridges. Located on left bank of Selatwik River, 44 mi. NE of Elephant Point. | ||
| Sheshalik | Former
Eskimo village and summer camp, famous as a trading area for Eskimo and
Indian, recorded as "Sesualik," in Captain F. W. Beechey's chart,
dated 1831. In the 1880 Census, Petroff (1884, p. 4) listed "Sheshalegamute,"
population 100. Captain Hooper (1881, p. 44) published "She-shore-lik,"
and Lieutenant G. M. Stoney's manuscript map, dated 1883, shows "She-sur-are-lick."
Located on Sheshalik Spit, 9 mi. NW of Kotzebue. |
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| Shungnak Pop. 135 |
The village of Kochuk, later renamed Shungnak, was settled in the 1920s. The original village of Kobuk, settled in 1899 and situated about 10 miles upstream, was largely abandoned due to flooding. A few residents remain at Kobuk. The name "Shungnak" is derived from the Eskimo term "issingnak", which means jade, a stone found in the surrounding area.The first postmaster at Shungnak was Martin F. Moran, appointed September 24, 1903. A post office was established for a few months in 1934 and then again in 1946. Located on right bank of Kobuk River 85 mi. NE of Selawik. | ||
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YEARBOOKS
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This is an area where volunteers can be of great help. If you have an old yearbook, scan it in and send it to the Borough Coordinator. | ||
Should you have any questions, please email the Borough Coordinator.
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