St. Paul, Alaska
St. Paul
Tanax̂ Amix̂ | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 02-66470 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1419163 |
St. Paul (
The three nearest islands to Saint Paul Island are
St. Paul Island has a land area of 43 sq mi (110 km2). St. Paul Island in 2008 had one school (K-12, 76 students), one post office, one bar, one small store, and one church (the Russian Orthodox Sts. Peter and Paul Church), which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Geography and geology
St. Paul is located at 57°7′30″N 170°17′3″W / 57.12500°N 170.28417°W (57.133806, −170.266614).[4]
Saint Paul is the largest of the Pribilof Islands and lies the farthest north. With a width of 7.66 mi (12.33 km) at its widest point and a length of 13.5 mi (21.7 km) on its longest axis (which runs from northeast to southwest), it has a total area of 43 sq mi (110 km2). Volcanic in origin, Saint Paul features a number of
Like the other Pribilof Islands, Saint Paul rises from a
History and culture
The
The Pribilofs, named after the Russian navigator Gavriil Pribylov, were discovered in 1786 by Russian fur traders; no Alaska Natives are known to have lived on the island prior to this point. They landed first on St. George on St. Peter and St. Paul's Day, July 12, 1788, and named the larger island to the north St. Peter and St. Paul Island. Three years later the Russian merchant vessel John the Baptist was shipwrecked off the shore. The crew were listed as missing until 1793, when the survivors were rescued by Gerasim Izmailov.
In the 18th century, the Russian-American Company forced Aleuts from the Aleutian chain (several hundred miles south of the Pribilofs) to hunt seal for them on the Pribilof Islands. Before this the Pribilofs were not regularly inhabited. The Aleuts were essentially slave labor for the Russians—hunting, cleaning, and preparing fur seal skins, which the Russians sold for a great deal of money. The Aleuts were not taken back to their home islands; they lived in inhumane conditions, they were beaten, and they were regulated by the Russians down to what they could eat and wear and whom they could marry.[10] Their descendants live on the two islands today.
In 1870, the now-American owned Alaska Commercial Company (formerly the Russian-American Company) was awarded a 20-year sealing lease by the U.S. Government, and provided housing, food and medical care to the Aleuts in exchange for seal harvesting. In 1890, a second 20-year lease was awarded to the North American Commercial Company, however, the fur seals had been severely over-harvested and only an estimated 200,000 fur seals remained. The 1910 Fur Seal Treaty ended private sealing on the islands and placed the community and fur seals under the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Food and clothing were scarce, social and racial segregation were practiced, and working conditions were poor.
During World War II, as the
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 298 | — | |
1890 | 244 | −18.1% | |
1910 | 201 | — | |
1920 | 212 | 5.5% | |
1930 | 247 | 16.5% | |
1940 | 299 | 21.1% | |
1950 | 359 | 20.1% | |
1960 | 378 | 5.3% | |
1970 | 450 | 19.0% | |
1980 | 551 | 22.4% | |
1990 | 763 | 38.5% | |
2000 | 532 | −30.3% | |
2010 | 479 | −10.0% | |
2020 | 413 | −13.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[13] |
Saint Paul Island has the largest
Saint Paul first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as an unincorporated Aleut village. Of its 298 residents, 284 were Aleut and 14 were white.[15] In 1890, it reported with 244 residents. A plurality of 111 were creole (mixed Russian & Native), 108 were Native, 22 were white and 3 were Asian.[16] It did not report in 1900, but from 1910 to 1940, it reported as "Saint Paul Island." From 1950-onward, it has reported as Saint Paul. It formally incorporated in 1971.
As of the
There were 177 households, out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 125.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,750, and the median income for a family was $51,750. Males had a median income of $32,583 versus $29,792 for females. The
Nature and wildlife
Saint Paul Island, like all of the Pribilof Islands, is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Its seabird cliffs were purchased in 1982 for inclusion in the refuge.[18] The island has also been designated as an Important Bird Area.[19]
It is the breeding grounds for more than 500,000 northern fur seals and millions of seabirds, and is surrounded by one of the world's richest fishing grounds.
A mass die-off of
Birds
No fewer than 287 species of birds have been recorded on the island. In spring (May through mid-June) and fall (August through October), many rare birds, including Siberian vagrants, may be spotted on the island. The cliffs of Saint Paul, Saint George and Otter Island support large numbers of breeding seabirds, including critical nesting habitat for the very range-restricted
Northern fur seals
One of the most notable sights on the island are the
Harbor seals, sea lions, walrus, whales
are observed offshore.Blue fox
The Blue fox is a subspecies of the Arctic fox. Endemic to the island, the fox can be found roaming the hills and climbing the cliffs as it scavenges for food. Though clearly able to capture the occasional gull, foxes near the town prefer to scavenge garbage and explore the fishing docks and Processing Plant. Kits hide under storage containers and gobble a fisherman's offered scraps. Some kits shed their dark color much faster than their siblings and adopt a fluffy white/grey coat by mid-September. Foxes inhabiting areas farther from the human dwellings boast a more aggressive and territorial manner. Edging the fur seal rookeries, the two species cohabit easily.
Reindeer
A large herd of reindeer roam the island.[citation needed] Of domesticated Russian stock, 25 reindeer were introduced to the island in the fall of 1911, but, after a peak of 2,046 organisms in 1938, the number decreased to 8.[26]
Wildflowers
In spring, with the greening of the island, wildflowers begin to decorate the maritime tundra landscape. There are more than 100 species of wildflowers, from the Arctic
Climate
The climate of St. Paul is Arctic maritime. The Bering Sea location results in cool weather year-round and a narrow range of mean temperatures varying from 19 to 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Average precipitation is 25 inches (640 mm) , with snowfall of 56 inches (1,400 mm). Heavy fog is common during summer months. Lightning and thunder are virtually unheard of. The last time a thunderstorm occurred in St. Paul was on November 8, 1982, which was the first thunderstorm in 40 years.
Saint Paul's climate is strongly influenced by the cold waters of the surrounding Bering Sea, and is classified as polar (Köppen ET) due to the raw chilliness of the summers. It experiences a relatively narrow range of temperatures, high wind, humidity and cloudiness levels, and persistent summer fog. There is high seasonal lag: February is the island's coldest month, while August is its warmest; the difference between the average low temperature in February and the average high temperature in August is only 31.8 °F (17.7 °C). Although the mean average temperature for the year is above freezing, at 35.9 °F (2.17 °C), the monthly daily average temperature remains below freezing from December to April. Low temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) occur an average of 4.7 nights per year (mostly from January to March), and the island is part of USDA Hardiness Zone 6.[27] Extreme temperatures have ranged from −26 °F (−32 °C) on January 27, 1919, up to 66 °F (19 °C) on August 14, 2020, and August 25, 1987. Winds are strong and persistent year-round, averaging around 15 mph (24 km/h). They are strongest from late autumn through winter, when they increase to an average of nearly 20 mph (32 km/h), blowing mostly from the north. In the summer, they become weaker and blow primarily from the south.[28]
The island's humidity level, which averages more than 80 percent year round, is highest during the summer. Cloud cover levels peak during the summer as well. Although high year-round, with an average of 88 percent, cloud cover levels rise to 95 percent in the summer. Fog too is more common in the summer, occurring on roughly one-third of the days. The island receives about 23.8 in (605 mm) of
Climate data for St Paul Island, Alaska (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1892–present)
| |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
44 (7) |
50 (10) |
49 (9) |
59 (15) |
62 (17) |
65 (18) |
66 (19) |
62 (17) |
54 (12) |
50 (10) |
52 (11) |
66 (19) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 38.3 (3.5) |
37.5 (3.1) |
38.2 (3.4) |
41.3 (5.2) |
49.0 (9.4) |
54.8 (12.7) |
58.6 (14.8) |
58.1 (14.5) |
54.4 (12.4) |
49.4 (9.7) |
44.0 (6.7) |
40.5 (4.7) |
60.4 (15.8) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.2 (−1.6) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
34.1 (1.2) |
40.8 (4.9) |
47.5 (8.6) |
51.6 (10.9) |
53.0 (11.7) |
50.1 (10.1) |
43.6 (6.4) |
37.7 (3.2) |
33.1 (0.6) |
40.0 (4.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.3 (−3.7) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
25.1 (−3.8) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
36.6 (2.6) |
43.1 (6.2) |
47.9 (8.8) |
49.5 (9.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
39.5 (4.2) |
33.9 (1.1) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
35.9 (2.2) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.4 (−5.9) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
32.4 (0.2) |
38.7 (3.7) |
44.2 (6.8) |
46.1 (7.8) |
41.9 (5.5) |
35.3 (1.8) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 4.7 (−15.2) |
2.7 (−16.3) |
4.7 (−15.2) |
11.4 (−11.4) |
23.3 (−4.8) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
37.6 (3.1) |
39.0 (3.9) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
17.6 (−8.0) |
8.8 (−12.9) |
−2.2 (−19.0) |
Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−16 (−27) |
−19 (−28) |
−8 (−22) |
8 (−13) |
16 (−9) |
28 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
22 (−6) |
12 (−11) |
4 (−16) |
−5 (−21) |
−26 (−32) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.61 (41) |
1.43 (36) |
1.29 (33) |
1.04 (26) |
1.02 (26) |
1.31 (33) |
1.98 (50) |
3.06 (78) |
3.00 (76) |
3.32 (84) |
2.97 (75) |
2.30 (58) |
24.33 (618) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 16.5 (42) |
11.1 (28) |
9.6 (24) |
5.3 (13) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.6 (4.1) |
7.1 (18) |
12.3 (31) |
64.3 (163) |
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 10 (25) |
12 (30) |
11 (28) |
9 (23) |
3 (7.6) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (2.5) |
4 (10) |
8 (20) |
12 (30) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 17.2 | 16.3 | 14.0 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 14.1 | 17.8 | 19.5 | 22.5 | 23.0 | 21.5 | 201.8 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 14.9 | 13.7 | 13.4 | 9.4 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 10.7 | 15.3 | 82.9 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
84.7 | 85.0 | 85.9 | 85.5 | 88.0 | 90.0 | 93.8 | 93.7 | 88.8 | 82.7 | 82.6 | 83.2 | 87.0 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 23.0 (−5.0) |
18.7 (−7.4) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
38.3 (3.5) |
44.1 (6.7) |
45.7 (7.6) |
41.4 (5.2) |
33.1 (0.6) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
Source: NOAA (snow depth 1990-2019, relative humidity and dew point 1961–1990)[29][30][31] |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
See or edit raw graph data.
Facilities and utilities
Water is supplied by wells and an aquifer and is treated. There are two new wooden tanks; one 500,000 gallon and one 300,000 gallon. All 167 homes and facilities are connected to the piped water and sewer system and are fully plumbed. An ocean outfall line was recently added for seafood processing waste. The city collects refuse. The Tribe operates a recycling program which is currently on hold. A landfill, incinerator, sludge and oil disposal site have recently been completed. A new $3 million power plant came online in 2000. A small wind turbine provides power and hot water to the village office, but it is not connected to the power grid. Electricity is provided by St. Paul Municipal Electric Utility.
Health care
Local hospitals or health clinics include St. Paul Health Clinic. The clinic is a qualified Emergency Care Center. St. Paul is classified as an isolated town/Sub-Regional Center. It is found in EMS Region 2H in the Aleutian/Pribilof Region. Currently the City of St. Paul's Department of Public Safety provides no emergency medical services to residents or visitors on island. Two advanced life support ambulances sit idle at the community clinic due to a lack of staffing and funding provided for by the city.[34]
Education
St. Paul is served by the Pribilof Island School District, headquartered in the city. St. Paul School is attended by 73 students and covers grades K–12.[35]
Economy and transportation
Some of the island's residents stay only part of the year and work in the crab and boat yards. The large boats that have been fishing the Bering Sea offload their fish onto the island and workers prepare them for shipping around the world.
The federally controlled fur seal industry dominated the economy of the Pribilofs until 1985. St. Paul is a port for the Central Bering Sea fishing fleet, and major harbor improvements have fueled economic growth. Trident Seafoods and Icicle Seafoods process cod, crab, halibut and other seafoods in St. Paul. 30 residents hold commercial fishing permits for halibut. Several offshore processors are serviced out of St. Paul. The community is seeking funds to develop a halibut processing facility. Fur seal rookeries and more than 210 species of nesting seabirds attract almost 700 tourists annually. There is also a reindeer herd on the island from a previous commercial venture. Residents subsist on halibut, fur seals (1,645 may be taken each year), reindeer, marine invertebrates, plants and berries.
St. Paul is accessible by sea and air. Most supplies and freight arrive by ship. There is a breakwater, 700 feet (210 m) of dock space, and a barge off-loading area. A small boat harbor is under construction through 2005 by the Corps of Engineers.
The island has an airport, known as
Media
St. Paul is served by KUHB-FM 91.9, an NPR affiliate that broadcasts a wide variety of programming and music. St. Paul also has two low-power translators of the statewide Alaska Rural Communications Service on Channel 4 (K04HM)[37] and Channel 9 (K09RB-D).[38]
Novastoshnah, the northeastern presque-isle of the island, and Lukannon, on the island's south peninsula (see survey map above) are settings of the Rudyard Kipling story "The White Seal" and poem "Lukannon" in The Jungle Book. Walrus Island, visible on the same map off to the east, is also mentioned in the same story.
Point of Interest
See also
Notes
- ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
References
- Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. p. 131.
- ^ 2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau: Alaska Municipal League. 2015. p. 137.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ Jordan, David Starr (1898). The Fur Seals and Fur-seal Islands of the North Pacific Ocean. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Treasury: Government Printing Office. p. 31.
- ^ Elliott, Henry W. (1882). A Monograph of the Seal Islands. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 19. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-8047-0272-0.
- ^ Borneman 2003, pp. 113–114
- ^ Elliott 1886, pp. 193–194
- ^ "Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association". Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ "National Register". Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Area History". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ St. Paul Island: Blocks 1001 thru 1041, Census Tract 1, Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska Archived December 27, 1996, at the Wayback Machine United States Census Bureau
- ^ "Statistics of the Population of Alaska" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Government Printing Office.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge: Wildlife Viewing". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- ISBN 978-9942-9959-0-2. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- ^ Schirber, Michael. "Surviving Extinction: Where Woolly Mammoths Endured". Live Science. Imaginova Cororporation. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ^ Kristine J. Crossen, "5,700-Year-Old Mammoth Remains from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska: Last Outpost of North America Megafauna", Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Volume 37, Number 7, (Geological Society of America, 2005), 463.
- ^ David R. Yesner, Douglas W. Veltre, Kristine J. Crossen, and Russell W. Graham, "5,700-year-old Mammoth Remains from Qagnax Cave, Pribilof Islands, Alaska", Second World of Elephants Congress, (Hot Springs: Mammoth Site, 2005), 200–203
- S2CID 186242235.
- ^ Morelle, Rebecca (August 2, 2016). "Last woolly mammoths 'died of thirst'". BBC News. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ Shankman, Sabrina (May 29, 2019). "Mass Die-Off of Puffins Raises More Fears About Arctic's Warming Climate". InsideClimate News. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- Bibcode:1951SciMo..73..356S. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ "Arbor Day Foundation - Buy trees, rain forest friendly coffee, greeting cards that plant trees, memorials and celebrations with trees, and more".
- ^ ISBN 978-1-60223-007-1.
- ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ "WMO climate normals for ST PAUL ISLAND/ARPT AK 1961−1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Department of Energy's interview with Ron Philemonoff of Tanadgusix (TDX) Corporation". Archived from the original on March 5, 2005. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ "Commercial Projects". www.tdxpower.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ "City of Saint Paul, Alaska". City of St. Paul Island, Alaska. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "St Paul School Profile". education.alaska.gov. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "PASN - St. Paul Island Airport". AirNav. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
- ^ "REC Broadcast Query". Archived from the original on July 7, 2009.
- ^ "REC Broadcast Query". Archived from the original on July 7, 2009.
- Borneman, Walter R (2003). Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-050306-8.
- Elliott, Henry Wood (1886). Our Arctic Province: Alaska and the Seal Islands. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons.
External links
- North facing Weather Cam from the Alaska FAA website
- South facing Weather Cam from the Alaska FAA website
- West facing Weather Cam from the Alaska FAA website
- Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association
- Pribilof School District
- Tanadgusix Corporation
- Alaska Community Database Community Information Summaries
- Community Photos from the Alaska Division of Community Advocacy Community Photo Library
- Timeline of Saint Paul History
- Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) No. AK-1, "Saint Paul Island, Saint Paul Island, Aleutians West Census Area, AK"
- "St. Paul Island". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.
- Saint Paul Island info from the State of Alaska
- Google Earth view