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Saint Mary's
a.k.a. Algaaciq; includes Andreafsky
For Photos of Saint Mary's click here
For a Map of Saint Mary's click here
| Current Population: |
549
(2008 DCCED Certified Population)
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| Incorporation Type: |
1st Class City |
| Borough Located In: |
Unorganized |
| Taxes: |
Sales: 3%,
Property: None, Special: 3% Alcohol Use Tax
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| Coastal Management District: |
Ceñaliulriit CRSA |
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| Location
and Climate |
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St. Mary's is located on the north bank of the Andreafsky River, 5 miles from its confluence with the Yukon River. It lies 450 air miles west-northwest of Anchorage. The City of St. Mary's encompasses the Yup'ik villages of St. Mary's and Andreafsky. The community
lies at approximately 62.053060° North Latitude
and -163.165830° West Longitude.
(Sec. 26, T023N, R076W, Seward Meridian.)
Saint Mary's is located in the
Bethel Recording District.
The area encompasses 44.0
sq. miles of land and 6.3 sq. miles
of water.
The climate is continental with a significant maritime influence. Temperatures range between -44 and 83 °F. Annual precipitation measures 16 inches, with 60 inches of snowfall. The Yukon is ice-free from June through October. |
Topographic
map of
Saint Mary's
area
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| History, Culture
and Demographics |
| In 1899, Andreafsky was established as a supply depot and winter headquarters for the Northern Commercial Company's riverboat fleet. The village took its name from the Andrea family which settled on the river and built a Russian Orthodox church. In 1903, Jesuit missionaries set up a mission 90 miles downriver at "Akulurak" to educate and care for the children orphaned by a flu epidemic in 1900-01. Akulurak means "in between place," aptly describing the village, which was on an island in a slough connecting two arms of the Yukon River. The mission school flourished, and, by 1915, there were 70 full-time students. Over the years, the slough surrounding Akulurak silted in severely. In 1948, the villagers decided to move to higher ground. Materials from an abandoned hotel built during the gold rush were used to construct the new mission and several village homes at the present site. In 1949, an unused 15' by 30' building and other building materials from Galena Air Force Station were barged to Saint Mary's by Father Spills, a Jesuit priest. These materials, along with a tractor borrowed from Holy Cross, were used to construct a school. During the 1950s, a number of Yup'ik families moved into the Andreafsky area, only a short distance from the mission. Dormitories and a large house for the Jesuits were built during the 1960s. In 1967, the area adjacent to the mission incorporated as the City of St. Mary's, although Andreafsky chose to remain independent. In 1980, the residents of Andreafsky voted for annexation into the city. In 1987, the Catholic church closed the mission school.
A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Algaaciq Native Village; Yupiit of Andreafsky.
The population of the community consists of 87.6%
Alaska Native or part Native.
St. Mary's is a Yup'ik Eskimo community that maintains a fishing and subsistence lifestyle. The sale of alcohol is prohibited in the City.
During the 2000 U.S. Census,
total housing units numbered 186, and vacant housing units numbered 49.
Vacant housing units used
only seasonally numbered 25.
U.S. Census data for Year
2000 showed 219 residents
as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was
11.34 percent,
although
35.4 percent of
all adults were not in the work force. The median household
income was $39,375, per capita income was $15,837, and
20.41 percent of residents
were living below the poverty level.
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| Facilities,
Utilities, Schools and Health Care |
| Water is derived from Alstrom Creek reservoir and is treated. The majority of the homes in the city have complete plumbing and are connected to the piped water and sewer system. Waste heat from the power plant supports the circulating water system. A 1.7-million-gallon sewage lagoon provides waste treatment. Six residences haul water and use honeybuckets. The city provides honeybucket pickup services. A washeteria is available nearby at Pitka's Point.
Electricity is provided by AVEC.
There is one school located in the community,
attended by 178
students.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Saint Mary's Clinic.
Staffed by Operations Manager, Health Practitioner, Dentist, and 4 Health Aides. Saint Mary's is classified as an isolated village, it is found in EMS Region 7A in the Yukon/Kuskokwim Region. Emergency Services have river, limited highway and air access. Emergency service is provided by a health aide
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| Economy
and Transportation |
The economy in St. Mary's seasonal. 74 residents hold commercial fishing permits. A cold storage facility is available. Cash income is supplemented by subsistence activities and trapping. Salmon, moose, bear, and waterfowl are harvested. There are two general stores, Alaska Commercial Co. and Yukon Traders. There is also a regional post office.
St. Mary's is served by barge and aircraft. The state-owned 6,003' long by 150' wide gravel runway and 1,900' long by 60' wide crosswind strip provide year-round access. The airfield is capable of receiving large jet aircraft, but service was discontinued in 1990. A 22-mile road links St. Mary's to Andreafsky, Pitka's Point, and Mountain Village. They are not maintained during winter months but are instead used by snow machines. The Andreafsky River provides the only deep-water dock in the Delta. |
Organizations
with Local Offices
City -
City of Saint Mary's
P.O. Box 209
St. Mary's, AK 99658
Phone 907-438-2515
Fax 907-438-2719
E-mail cityksm@gci.net
School District -
Saint Mary's School District
P.O. Box 9
St. Mary's, AK 99658-0009
Phone 907-438-2411
Fax 907-438-2735
E-mail dherbert@smcsd.us
Web http://www.smcsd.us
Village Corporation -
Saint Mary's Native Corporation
P.O. Box 149
Saint Mary's, AK 99658
Phone 907-438-2961
Fax 907-438-2315
Village Council -
Algaaciq Native Village
P.O. Box 48
St. Mary's, AK 99658
Phone 907-438-2932
Fax 907-438-2227
E-mail algaaciq@yahoo.com
Regional
Organizations
School District - Saint Mary's School District
P.O. Box 9
St. Mary's, AK 99658-0009
Phone 907-438-2411
Fax 907-438-2735
E-mail dherbert@smcsd.us
Web http://www.smcsd.us
Regional Native Corporation - Calista Corporation
301 Calista Court, Suite A
Anchorage, AK 99518-3028
Phone 907-279-5516
Fax 907-272-5060
E-mail calista@calistacorp.com
Web http://www.calistacorp.com
Regional Native Health Corporation - Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp.
P.O. Box 528
Bethel, AK 99559
Phone 907-543-6020
Fax 907-543-6006
E-mail gene_peltola@ykhc.org
Web http://www.ykhc.org/
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