St. Michael Island facts for kids
St. Michael Island is an island located in Alaska. It sits on the southeast side of the Norton Sound. The island is about 9.3 miles (15 km) long and 6.2 miles (10 km) wide.
Two main communities are found on St. Michael Island. These are St. Michael on the east side and Stebbins on the northwest side.
Most people living on the island today are from the Yup'ik culture. Many residents also have ancestors who were Russian traders.
Island History
Early Trading Post
In 1833, traders from the Russian-American Company started a trading post here. They called it Redoubt St. Michael. This post was used for trading with the local Yup'ik people. The trading post and the island were named after the archangel Michael.
Gold Rush Era
A U.S. military base, Fort St. Michael, was built on the island in 1897. This happened during the exciting time of the Klondike Gold Rush. St. Michael became a very important entry point to the Alaskan interior. People traveled through here to reach the Yukon River Delta, which was about 40 miles (64 km) away.
During the gold rush, as many as 10,000 people were said to live in St. Michael. It was also a popular place for Alaska Natives to trade their goods. They exchanged their items for Western supplies. After a measles outbreak in 1900 and a flu outbreak in 1918, many Yup'ik people from nearby villages moved to St. Michael.
