Seldovia, Alaska
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| Seldovia, Alaska | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Kenai Peninsula |
| Area | |
| - Total | 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km²) |
| - Land | 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km²) |
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) |
| Elevation | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 286 |
| - Density | 749.9/sq mi (289.5/km²) |
| Time zone | Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9) |
| - Summer (DST) | AKDT (UTC-8) |
| ZIP code | 99663 |
| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-68340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1413937 |
Seldovia is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 286 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
Seldovia is located at (59.438827, -151.712377)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Seldovia has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²), of which, 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (33.33%) is water.
[edit] Seldovia History
Seldovia was founded in modern times as a small village by Russians working the fur trade in the early 1800s. Although there has been little definitive archeological evidence of human habitation at Seldovia prior to the 1800s, it is said the early Russian St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, started in 1820, was built on top of an older aboriginal Inuit village site. The town's original Russian name, Seldevoy, translates to "Herring Bay", as there was a significant herring population prior to rampant overfishing early in the 20th century.
The Good Friday Earthquake on March 27 of 1964 changed Seldovia forever. The coastal area where Seldovia is located has a substantial importance as the town was one of many such communities along the shores of Cook Inlet, already noted for having one of the most severe tidal movements in North America. Similar to the dramatic tides of Bay of Fundy, the Cook Inlet's waters prior to 1964 would rise or fall 26 feet every six hours during the peak tides. After the 9.2 earthquake the surrounding land mass dropped six feet. One simplified description of this major seismic event is described in a rough estimate as an area within the borders of Alaska approximately the size of the state of California collapsing six feet. The unfortunate coastal communities within the boundaries of this event were subject to varying degrees of destruction.
Seldovia's "boardwalk" was a thick wooden plank and piling main street of the town. Built almost entirely along the waterfront with a majority of the community's businesses, and many dwellings similarly constructed upon pilings on either side of this "street". The sudden change in water depth was fatal. The higher tides, now peaking at 32 feet, would completely submerge the boardwalk and flood the stores, cafes, canneries, hotels and homes along the waterfront. The old Seldovia was literally washed off the map.
It bears noting that the preceding description of the town's destruction in 1964 is mainly in a geographic light. And it is true that those fortunate enough to have experienced the scenic beauty of this lost treasure would remark on how unique a setting it was in Seldovia. But the history that continues can stand out as the truly remarkable strength of this village.
The waterfront was rebuilt using fill from surrounding areas and much of the town, including a new boardwalk, was reconstructed on higher ground. Until the development of a more complete road system in Alaska, Seldovia was an important "first stop" for ships sailing from Seward, Kodiak and other points outside Cook Inlet. At its maximum, Seldovia was home to over 2000 residents, but today fewer than 300 persons reside year round.
Seldovia has been home to many industries, including fox farming, berry picking and commercial fishing. The lucrative King Crab fishery owes its beginnings to a few creative thinkers who used Seldovia as the staging area for what became the richest and most dangerous seafood industry in the country. Logging and mining have also featured in the history of Seldovia. And today the charter boats keep busy bringing the visiting sport fishermen to the abundant fishing grounds of Kachemak Bay and other nearby waters.
When you add up the type of occupations that are prevalent to Seldovia, combined with the fact that there is no road system arriving in the town, you can get a picture of the hardiness of the locals. You can only get there by plane or boat. Commercial and charter fishing, logging, and flying are the top three most dangerous occupations in the country. The same Dept. of Labor statistics places commercial fishing as the most dangerous being thirty times more deadly than the national average. These are a robust and likable group of people generally patient with the flow of visitors whose origins are of a more tranquil nature.
Today the school, Seldovia Village Tribe, and tourism service businesses are the dominant economic forces.
School: The Susan B. English Grade 1-12 School, opened on August 30, 1972.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 286 people, 134 households, and 71 families residing in the city. The population density was 749.9 people per square mile (290.6/km²). There were 232 housing units at an average density of 608.3/sq mi (235.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.43% White, 1.05% Black or African American, 17.48% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 6.64% from two or more races. 2.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 134 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 40.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 37.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,313, and the median income for a family was $58,000. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $33,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,669. About 3.0% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 3.4% of those sixty five or over.
[edit] References
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Seldovia city government website
- Seldovia Gazette
- Seldovia Village Tribe
- Chamber of Commerce
- Seldovia Public Library
- Susan B. English School
- Seldovia Boys & Girls Club
- Seldovia, Alaska is at coordinates Coordinates:
- Seldovia Fishing Adventures
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