Aleknagik, Alaska

Unorganized Borough

02-01420

Aleknagik is a city in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska. According to the 2000 census, there lived 221 people.

Geography

Aleknagik is located at the mouth of the Wood River at the southeastern end of Lake Aleknagik, about 25 km northwest of Dillingham. Aleknagik is named after the Lake Aleknagik. Aleknagik means "the wrong way home " in Yupik. The Yupik on the way home along the Nushagak River sometimes got lost in the fog and were flushed by the tide the Wood River upstream to the Lake Aleknagik.

History

End of the 19th century there were about 200 people in Aleknagik and the other villages along the Wood River. In the 1918-1919 influenza epidemic, most inhabitants of the villages died. The few survivors were evacuated from the area. In the 1920s, returned to and after the former inhabitants returned to Aleknagik and the village grew to 1931 to around 40 inhabitants. 1933 a school on the south coast of the lake was built. Attracted by the school, other facilities, plenty of fish, game and timber attracted some families from Goodnews, Togiak and Kulukak to Aleknagik. 1937 a post office was built. 1939 already lived 78 Population in Aleknagik. There were over 30 buildings, a church and a small sawmill. 1959 established the state has a 41 km long road to Dillingham. Until the 1980s the road was passable only in summer. Aleknagik received city rights in 1973.

Traffic

The State New Aleknagik Airport ( IATA: WKK ) on the north coast of the lake is not accessible by road. Moody's Aleknagik Seaplane Base, also on the north coast, operated seaplanes. There are two other airports: the public Tripod Airport and Adventist Mission School Airport. Cars, small boats, ATVs and snowmobiles are the usual local transport.