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Kupreanof
For a Map of Kupreanof click here
| Current Population: |
27
(2008 DCCED Certified Population)
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| Incorporation Type: |
2nd Class City |
| Borough Located In: |
Unorganized |
| Taxes: |
Sales: None,
Property: None, Special: None
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| Location
and Climate |
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Kupreanof is located on the northeast shore of Kupreanof Island, across the Wrangell Narrows from Petersburg and Mitkof Island. It lies about 120 miles south of Juneau and 120 miles north of Ketchikan. The community
lies at approximately 56.814440° North Latitude
and -132.980560° West Longitude.
(Sec. 29, T058S, R079E, Copper River Meridian.)
Kupreanof is located in the
Petersburg Recording District.
The area encompasses 4.0
sq. miles of land and 2.1 sq. miles
of water.
Kupreanof is located in the maritime climate zone. Summer temperatures range 40 to 56 °F, and winter temperatures range from 27 to 43 °F. Precipitation averages 105 inches per year, with 93 inches of snow. |
Topographic
map of
Kupreanof
area
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| History, Culture
and Demographics |
| Early residents homesteaded in the area around the turn of the century, when it was known as West Petersburg. The first business in Kupreanof was a small sawmill started in 1911 by the Knudsen brothers. In its early years, the mill produced barrels for the salted fish that were shipped out of Petersburg. The Yukon Fur Farm began raising foxes in the early 1920s but shortly shifted to mink. It became the first mink farm in Alaska. During the 1920s, over 100 people resided in West Petersburg. In addition to the sawmill, residents operated a small store, a gaff hook factory, and several mink ranches, as well as commercial fishing. During the 1930s and 40s, a small ship repair facility, an outboard motor shop, commercial logging, a clam cannery, and a barrel-maker were operating. Although the Knudsen Mill and the Yukon Fur Farm continued into the 1960s, the economics of living on the island became more difficult. The population fell from 60 in 1950 to 26 in 1960. The population has since remained stable. Kupreanof was named after the island when it incorporated as a second-class city in 1975.
The population of the community consists of 0%
Alaska Native or part Native.
Kupreanof is a small, closely-knit non-Native community near Petersburg. All of the homes are built on the waterfront; there are no roads. Residents use skiffs to travel to Petersburg for schooling, goods, and services.
During the 2000 U.S. Census,
total housing units numbered 26, and vacant housing units numbered 14.
Vacant housing units used
only seasonally numbered 10.
U.S. Census data for Year
2000 showed 21 residents
as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was
0 percent,
although
25 percent of
all adults were not in the work force. The median household
income was $45,833, per capita income was $26,651, and
0 percent of residents
were living below the poverty level.
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| Facilities,
Utilities, Schools and Health Care |
| There are no public utilities in Kupreanof and no central electric. Residents pipe water from nearby creeks; individual septic tanks or pit privies are used for sewage disposal. None of the 17 homes are fully plumbed. Residents operate individual generators. Household refuse is composted, recycled, burned, and buried.
Electricity is provided by Individual Generators.
There are no state operated schools located in the community.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Petersburg Medical Center in Petersburg.
Kupreanof is classified as an isolated village, it is found in EMS Region 3A in the Southeast Region. Emergency Services have river, coastal and helicopter access
Auxiliary health care is provided by skiff to Petersburg.
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| Economy
and Transportation |
The majority of Kupreanof's working residents are self-employed. Some commute by boat to jobs in Petersburg. Subsistence and recreational uses of resources around Kupreanof supplement household incomes; deer, salmon, halibut, shrimp, and crab are favorites. The city has no full time staff, few services, and no public utilities.
Small boats are the primary means of transportation to and from Kupreanof. Boat travel to Petersburg provides connection to that city's transportation services, including jet flights and the state ferry. Float planes can land at the government dock, but it is not a designated seaplane dock. There are no harbor facilities. Trails exist throughout the city. |
Organizations
with Local Offices
City -
City of Kupreanof
P.O. Box 50
Petersburg, AK 99833
Phone 907-772-5044
Fax 907-772-5044
E-mail treinarts@aol.com
Regional
Organizations
Regional Development - Southeast Conference
P.O. Box 21989
Juneau, 99802
Phone 907-523-2327
Fax 907-463-5670
E-mail shellyw@seconference.org
Web http://www.seconference.org
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