Sitka History

Sitka was the ancestral home of the Tlingit Indian nation centuries before the Russians arrived at the end of the 18th century.  In 1799 Alexander Baranov negotiated with the local chief to build a fort about 6 miles south of the present town.  The Russian interest in Sitka was its beauty, mild climate, and economic potential.

The Indians eventually took exception to Baranov's advances and burned his fort when he was away and on his base at Kodiak Island.

Baranov returned with a formidable force in 1804 and drove the Indians to the other side of the island.  When Russia sold Alaska to the USA for $7,200,000 in gold, the transfer was formalized at Sitka on October 18, 1867 and it was in Sitka that the American flag was raised for the first time over Alaskan soil.  From 1867 until 1912, Sitka was the capital of the territory of Alaska.