Ivan Petrof facts for kids
Ivan Petrof (born around 1842, died 1896) was a soldier, writer, and translator from Russia. For many years, people thought he was a top expert on Alaska. However, some historians later found that much of what he said and wrote about Alaska was not true.
Early Life and Work
We don't know much about Ivan Petrof's early life. He joined the United States Army in 1867. He worked as a translator at Fort Kenai in Alaska until 1870. He joined the army again in 1871 but later left without permission. He eventually got a special release from the army with help from important people.
Around 1874, Petrof started working for H.H. Bancroft, a famous historian. Petrof helped write Bancroft's History of Alaska. In 1878, he went to Sitka to gather and translate old documents. Later, it was discovered that some of the documents he brought back were completely made up.
Exploring Alaska for the Census
Ivan Petrof was a special agent for the United States Tenth Census in 1880. This meant he helped count people and gather information in Alaska. He traveled all over Alaska for this job.
He wrote a long report called Report on the Population, Industries, and Resources of Alaska. This report was 189 pages long and was published in 1884. It also included two maps of Alaska. Even today, people still use some of Petrof's census information. A historian named Stephen Haycox said that Petrof's work was generally helpful and very important.
Petrof traveled to many places in Alaska for his census work. He visited Kodiak, the Shumagin Islands, Sannak, Belkofski, Unalaska, Unimak, Atka, the Pribilof Islands, and St. Michael. He also traveled far up the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.
Life in Alaska and Later Career
After 1880, Ivan Petrof lived in Kodiak, Alaska. From 1883 to 1887, he worked there as an assistant collector of customs. Later, he was in charge of the 1890 census for Alaska.
In 1892, Petrof was asked to translate Russian documents for the U.S. government. This was for an important legal case about the Bering Sea. It was found that he had added his own words into the translated documents. This caused a big problem for the United States government. After this, his public career ended, and people started to question all his past work. It was later discovered that many things he had said about his own experiences were not true.
Today, Petrof Bay on Kuiu Island in Southeast Alaska is named after Ivan Petrof. A glacier on the Kenai Peninsula is also likely named for him.
Works
- Journal of a Trip of Alaska, 1878
- Map of Alaska and Adjoining Regions, 1880
- Map of Alaska and Adjoining Regions, 1882
- Report on the Population, Industries, and Resources of Alaska, in the Volume VIII of the Tenth Census, published in 1884
