Telida, Alaska facts for kids

Telida (pronounced Tee-LAY-dee or Tee-lay-AH-dee in the Upper Kuskokwim language) is a small, unincorporated village in Alaska. It's located in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. According to the 2010 census, only three people lived there, which was the same number as in 2000.

Quick facts for kids Telida
Unincorporated community village
Tilaya-di, Tilayadi’
Telida Location in Alaska
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Census area	Yukon-Koyukuk
Elevation	617 ft (188 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	3
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
FIPS code	02-75800
GNIS ID	1410727

Where is Telida Located?

Telida is found in Alaska, at coordinates 63.3832623N, 153.2803835W. It sits on the south side of the Swift Fork, which is part of the Kuskokwim River. The village is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of McGrath by air. The name Telida means 'whitefish' in the local Upper Kuskokwim Athabaskan language.

The Story of Telida

Early Beginnings

According to old stories from the Athabascan people, Telida's first residents were two sisters. They survived an attack by another Athabascan group. They ran away from the McKinley area and found Telida Lake. At the lake's outlet, they discovered many whitefish. Later, some people from the attacking group found the sisters. These people married the women and settled by the lake. The village of Telida is named after this lake.

Moving the Village

The village of Telida has been in three different spots over time. The very first village was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) upstream from where Telida is today. United States army explorers first visited this site in 1899.

When the Swift Fork river changed its path, the villagers had to move. They moved to a place now called "Old Telida." In 1916, some people moved again to the current location, known as "New Telida." This new site is about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) downstream from Old Telida.

Life in Old Telida

In 1918, a Russian Orthodox church, St. Basil the Great, was built in Old Telida. A roadhouse was also built there around this time. From 1920 to 1921, Old Telida was an important stop. It was on the trail between McGrath and Nenana. Hundreds of travelers used the roadhouse.

Relocation and Decline

In 1935, Old Telida experienced a big flood. The remaining residents had to move to New Telida. In 1958, a fire burned an area where the villagers had built an airstrip. Because of this, many families started moving to Takotna during the school year. They would only live in Telida during the summer months. A school was built in Telida in the 1970s. However, the number of people living in the village has continued to decrease since then.

Population Changes

Telida first appeared on the U.S. Census in 1980 with 33 people. By 1990, the population dropped to 11. In both 2000 and 2010, only 3 people were recorded living in Telida. This shows a significant decrease in the number of residents over the years.

Getting Around Telida

Telida has a public airport called Telida Airport. Its code is TLF (IATA) and 2K5 (FAA). This airport helps connect the small community to other places.

Education in Telida

The village was once served by the Telida School. This school was part of the Iditarod Area School District. A local publication called the Telida Current also started after the school got a copy machine.