Population
Population of the City of Old Harbor: 200
 Community Center photo courtesy of State of Alaska |
The area around Old Harbor is thought to have been inhabited for nearly 2,000 years. The area was visited by the Russian Grigori Shelikov and his "Three Saints" flagship in 1784. Three Saints Bay became the first Russian colony in Alaska. In 1788, a tsunami destroyed the settlement. Two more earthquakes struck before 1792. In 1793, the town relocated on the northeast coast to "Saint Paul's," now known as Kodiak. A settlement was reestablished at Three Saints Harbor in 1884. The town was recorded as Staruigavan, meaning "old harbor" in Russian. The present-day Natives are Alutiiq (Russian-Aleuts.) The Old Harbor post office was opened in 1931. In 1964, the Good Friday earthquake and resulting tsunami destroyed the community; only two homes and the church remained standing. The community has since been rebuilt in the same location.
Approximately 85.7% of the population are Alaska Natives. A federally-recognized Native organization is located in the community, and Old Harbor is governed by both a city and a tribal government. Old Harbor practices its traditional Alutiiq culture and subsistence lifestyle. Residents of Kaguyak, a summer fish camp, also live in Old Harbor.
