Sitka Alaska Photos,
Southeast Alaska
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Setting
 The name Sitka means "People on the Outside of Shee," Sheet’-ká, being the Tlingit name for Baranof Island. The town is often referred to as "Sitka-by-the-Sea." © Patrick J. Endres
Sitka, the fifth largest city in Alaska (population 8,947 - 2005 est.), is situated on Baranof Island, on the outer coast of Southeast Alaska. Sitka is is situated on
Baranof Island, nestled between forested mountains and the
great Pacific Ocean, on the outer waters of Alaska's Inside
Passage. Surrounded by island-studded waters and stately spruce forests
reaching to the water's edge, Sitka is considered Alaska's
most beautiful seaside town.
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History
 Totem poles depict clan story and history. © Patrick J. Endres
Sitka's past is a unique blend of Tlingit culture and Russian
history. The area was originally settled by the native Tlingit (Kolosh) Indians and taken over by the Russians under Alexandr Baranov in 1804. The Sitka Lutheran Church, built in 1840, was the first Protestant church on the Pacific Coast. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Michael was founded in 1848, and St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church was consecrated as "The Cathedral of Alaska" in 1900.
 Branof Castle Hill State Historic Site, Sitka, Alaska. © Patrick J. Endres
 Mount Edgecumbe, a 3,200-foot-tall dormant volcano, is located on Kruzof Island. It can be seen on a clear day from Sitka. © Patrick J. Endres
Sitka offers a combination of Native culture, Russian history,
and Alaskan wilderness and lies at the heart of the largest
temperate rain forest in the world, the Tongass National Forest.
Many tourists visiting Alaska make Sitka a top destination on their list. Cruise ships visit the small community but residents have mixed feelings about the influence of industrial tourism on their town and way of life.
Saint Michaels Cathedral
 The present cathedral is a reconstruction of the original building which burned to the ground in January 1966. © Patrick J. Endres
St. Michael's Russian Orthodox church contains an important collection of Russian Orthodox art & church
treasures. Built in 1844-48, it was totally destroyed by
fire in January 1966. Many of the icons and religious objects
were salvaged and are in the rebuilt structure. The building stands as a hallmark feature in downtown Sitka, and it is still used today for religious practice as well as tourism and education.
Sitka National Historic Park
 The park is located at the site of the Tlingit fort, near the mouth of the Indian River, where the Battle of Sitka took place between the Tlingit and Russians/Aleuts in 1804. © Patrick J. Endres
The Sitka National Historical Park is a 107 acre park which preserves and interprets the site of a Tlingit
Indian Fort and the battle fought between the Russians and the
Tlingits in 1804. A fine collection of Haida & Tlingit totem
poles were moved there from the Louisiana Exposition in St.
Louis in 1904, and in April, 1996, a totem carved by a local
carver was raised. The museum contains an exhibit of Tlingit
and Russian artifacts. There is an active Tlingit arts program
where the public can watch and talk to Native Indian carvers.
A free, self-guided oceanside |
