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() is one of 6 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island in Kodiak Island Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline. The population was estimated at 6,273 in 2006.
Originally inhabited by Alutiiq natives for over 7000 years, the city was settled in the 1700s by Russian immigrants and became the capital of Russian Alaska. Harvesting of the area's sea otter pelts led to the near extinction of the animal in the following century and led to wars with and enslavement of the natives for over 150 years. As part of the Alaskan purchase by the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a commercial fishing center which continues to this day. A Lesser economic influence includes tourism mainly by those seeking outdoor adventure trips. Salmon, Halibut, the unique Kodiak Bear, elk, Sitka deer, mountain goats invite hunting tourists as well as fishermen. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintains an office in the city and a web site to help hunters and fishermen obtain the proper permits and learn about the laws specific to the Kodiak area. The city has four public elementary schools, a middle and high school as well as a branch of the University of Alaska. An antenna farm at the summit of Pillar Mountain above the city provides communication with the outside world, a ferry service provided by the Alaska Marine Highway and local commercial airlines provide transportation to and from the island.
The Kodiak Archipelago has been home to native cultures for over 7000 years. In their language, "Kadiak" means island. The descendents of these peoples still occupy the island and are considered Alutiq, a term used to describe both their language and culture. In 1763, the Russian explorer Stephan Glotov discovered the island followed by the English Captain Cook fifteen years later who first penned "Kodiak" in his journals in 1778. The Russian fur trapper Alexander Baranov established a settlement and built a warehouse on what is now the city of Kodiak in order to harvest the area's vast population of sea otters for their prized pelts. The warehouse still stands as the Baranov Museum. Because the First Native cultures revered this animal and would never harm it, wars with and enslavement of the Aleuts occurred during this era. Eastern Orthodox missionaries settled on the island by the end of the 1700s continuing European settlement of the island which eventually became the capital of Russian Alaska. The Russian-American Company was established as a partnership between the two countries in the following century to continue the sea otter harvest. By the mid 1800's, the sea otter was almost extinct and 85% of the First Native population had disappeared from violence and exposure to European diseases. When Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a center for commercial fishing and canneries dotted the island in the early 1900s until global farm-raised salmon eliminated these businesses. New processing centers emerged and the industry continues to evolve even today. During the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, animals such as the mountain goat, Sitka deer, rabbits, muskrats, beavers, squirrels and others were introduced to the island and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was created.
As Kodiak was incorporated in 1941, the US feared attack from Japanese during WWII and turned the town into a fortress. Roads, the airport, Fort Abercrombie (now a park), and gun fortifications improved the island's infrastructure. When Alaska became a state in 1959, government assistance in housing, transportation, and education added additional benefits. A tectonic tsunami struck the city in March 1964 with 30 foot waves that killed 15 people and caused $11 million in damages. It also wiped out the neighboring Eskimo villages of Old Harbor and Kaguyak. The Standard Oil Company, the Alaskan King Crab Company and much of the fishing fleet were also destroyed.