The First Settlement in Alaska

After the great voyage and discovery of the land of Alaska, the Russians soon started occupying the land. But the Russians were soon followed by British, Spanish, and American explorers and adventurers. However, it was the Russians who stayed and had the greatest impact on Alaska.

After nearly 40 years from the time Alaska was discovered by Vitus Bering there were still no formal settlements in Alaska. However, in July of 1784, an Irkutsh merchant named Grigorii Shelikhov with his wife Natalia and 100 promyshlenniki (Russian fur traders), established a settlement on the shores of Kodiak Island. They were helped by the native inhabitants of the island, an Eskimo people known as the Koniag who after being treated nicely and being payed for their efforts were eager to assist.

The Russians built a village on the bay and a dozen smaller settlements and outposts in the surrounding area. The settlement consisted of several homes, a business office, a general store, and a blacksmith's forge with a carpenter's shop.

These small beginnings of development would later see tens and hundreds of thousands of inhabitants enjoying the beauties and resources of the great land of Alaska.

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