Sitka, Alaska

Downtown Sitka as seen from Baranof Castle Hill. Sitka is a town of 8000 people, making it (unbelievably) the 5th largest community in Alaska (behind Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Ketchikan). The original Tlingit (pronounced Klin-GIT) settlement was called Shee Atika until the Russians moved in - bloodily, on both sides - in the early 1800s. The new town was officially named New Archangel, but became known by most inhabitants as Sitka. It became the capital of Russian America, and was the site where control of Alaska was turned over to the US in 1867. The capital remained in Sitka until 1906 when the capital was moved to Juneau.

Oct 31, 2003 (1:11 pm)
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