Unga, Alaska facts for kids
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Unga is a special place in Alaska, a ghost town on Unga Island. It's located in the Aleutians East Borough, about two miles west of Sand Point. The island itself is about 15 miles (24 km) long. Unga sits at an altitude of 59 feet (18 meters) above sea level. In the local Unangam tunuu (the language of the Unangax people), its name is Uĝnaasaqax̂. A ghost town is a place where almost everyone has left, and it's mostly empty now.
A Look Back at Unga's History
Unga was first settled by the Aleut people in 1833. It was originally named Delarov. This name honored Evstratii Ivanovich Delarov, who worked for the Shelikhov-Golikov Company. At that time, about 116 people lived there.
In 1836, a person named F. P. Lutke reported the village as Ougnagok.
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The first post office in Unga opened in 1888. A mining company called Apollo Mining Co. was also started in 1890. The village's name officially changed to Unga in 1894.
Over time, fewer people lived in Unga. The post office closed in 1958. By 1969, the very last family left Unga. Most of the people who moved away went to Sand Point, a nearby community.
Unga's Changing Population
The number of people living in Unga changed a lot over the years. This is called its demographics.
- In 1880, 185 people lived in Unga. Most were Aleut or Creole (people of mixed Russian and Native heritage).
- By 1890, the population was 159. This count also included people from a fishing station and two mines nearby.
- The population went up and down in the early 1900s. It reached 313 people in 1920.
- By 1950, only 107 people lived there.
- In 1960, the population dropped to just 43 people.
- By 1980, no one lived in Unga anymore. It became a true ghost town.
An interesting fact is that the leader of the town was known as the "Unga Wizard." After 1960, Unga was no longer listed in the U.S. Census reports because it was uninhabited.
See also
In Spanish: Unga (Alaska) para niños
