Wrangell (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780738574981)

Wrangell is named after Baron Ferdinand von Wrangell of the Russian American Company, who was charged with extending Russia's fur trade into Southeast Alaska. To that end, he ordered a fort to be established in 1833, on Wrangell Island near the mouth of the Stikine River. The Stikine Tlingit Indians, who were scattered in villages nearby, moved closer to take advantage of fur trading opportunities. In 1839, the fort passed into the hands of the British Hudson's Bay Company. With the purchase of Alaska in 1867, the need was urgent to enforce the United States' presence in its recently acquired territory. An American fort was built, which the US Army occupied during a series of gold rushes, ending with the Klondike Rush in 1898. Wrangell began to grow beyond its boom-and-bust origins during the 20th century, becoming a thriving hub for lumber, fishing, and mining, as well as the newly minted tourist industry.

Author: Bonnie Demerjian
ISBN-10: 0738574988
ISBN-13: 9780738574981
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
Language: English
Published: 06/06/2011
Pages: 128
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 9.17h x 6.61w x 0.29d