Haines Borough, Alaska

Haines Borough History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Named: In 1881, the Chilkat asked Sheldon Jackson to send missionaries to this area. One of the missionaries sent was S. Young Hall, a Presbyterian minister. He built the Willard mission and school at Dtehshuh, on land that was given by the Chilkat. The mission was renamed Haines in 1884 in honor of Mrs. F. E. Haines, the chairwoman of the committee that raised funds for its building.

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History

Haines Borough, Alaska

A look at Haines Borough today used to be called "'Dtehshuh" or "end of the trail" by the Chilkat group of Tlingit. It received this name because they could portage (carry) their canoes from the trail that they use to trade with the interior, which began at the outlet of the Chilkat River, to Dtehshuh and save (20 miles) of rowing around the Chilkat Peninsula. George Dickinson, an agent for the North West Trading Company, settled at Dtehshuh around 1880. In 1881, the Chilkat asked Sheldon Jackson to send missionaries to this area. One of the missionaries sent was S. Young Hall, a Presbyterian minister. He built the Willard mission and school at Dtehshuh, on land that was given by the Chilkat. The mission was renamed Haines in 1884 in honor of Mrs. F. E. Haines, the chairwoman of the committee that raised funds for its building.

Four canneries were constructed around the mission by the 1900. During the Klondike Gold Rush from 1898 to1899, Haines grew as a supply center, since the Dalton Trail from Chilkat Inlet offered a route to the Yukon for prospectors. Gold was also discovered 36 miles from Haines in 1899 at the Porcupine District. During this time, the name Haines came into use for this area around the mission and not for just the mission itself. With the finishing of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway in neighboring Skagway, the Dalton Trail was mostly abandoned and Haines declined economically.

Fort William H. Seward, a United States Army installation was constructed south of Haines around 1904, on property that was donated by the mission from its holdings. In 1922, the fort was renamed Chilkoot Barracks. It was the only United States Army post in Alaska before World War II. During World War II, it was used as a supply point for some U. S. Army activities in Alaska. The fort was deactivated in 1946 and sold as surplus property to a private group who called it Port Chilkoot. In 1970, Port Chilkoot merged with Haines into one municipality. In 1972, the fort was designated a national historic site and renamed to, Fort William H. Seward, was restored.

The last of the four canneries closed in 1972 due to declining of fish stocks. Logging and sawing timber has been an industry around Haines but has declined in recent years. Tourism is now an important source of income in the community. Many tourists visit during the annual appearance of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve between October and February Calendar year.

Neighboring Counties:

• Juneau City and Borough, Alaska - south
• Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska - west

Also shares eastern border with British Columbia, Canada.

• Stikine Region, British Columbia

Cities:

• Haines (County Seat)

County Resources:

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Haines Borough, Alaska