WITH VIEWS OF ISLAND-STUDDED HARBORS and stately
spruce forests reaching to the water’s edge, Sitka is widely considered Alaska’s most beautiful seaside town. Its rich history is a unique blend of Tlingit culture, Russian imperialism and, ultimately, American expansion.

Sitka, which is located on the outer coast of Alaska’s Inside Passage, was once the cultural and political capital of Russian Alaska. Trader and explorer Alexander Baranof arrived here in 1799, and his group met with heavy resistance from the area’s original inhabitants. The Tlingits were immediately wary of the Russians and soon grew hostile to their presence. Tlingit suspicions turned to violence when they finally attacked an outpost in 1802, killing almost all of the Russian invaders.

Two years later, the Russians retaliated. For six days, the Tlingits fought gallantly, but after running out of gunpowder and flint, they decided to abandon their fort by exiting silently in the night.
The next day, the Russians stormed the fort only to find it empty. The fighting was over.

Following the 1804 battle, what was originally a small fort and trading outpost had become the settlement of New Archangel and the capital of the Russian colony. For the first half of the 19th century, Russia maintained a wilderness empire, based largely on fur trading, that extended from the Aleutian Islands to just north of San Francisco. The Sitka based Russian-American Fur Trading Company was the most profitable fur dealer in the world, and the furs brought riches to Sitka’s elite. The newfound opulence earned Sitka the distinction of being titled the “Paris of the Pacific.”

But as pelt numbers dwindled due to over-hunting of sea otters, Russia’s fascination with Alaska faded, and U.S. Secretary of State William Seward ultimately spearheaded the purchase of Alaska in 1867. The ceremony took place in Sitka on October 18 of that year. Still, remnants of the Russian influence may be seen throughout Sitka; the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Bishop’s House located in the downtown area serve as the most prominent reminders.