SITKA Early Views Historical Vignettes of Sitka National Historical Park

NEAR the end of the nineteenth century, many well to do Americans had the urge to travel. They had many destinations to chose from. Some of the more adventurous traveled by train to west-coast ports and booked passage on a steamer to see and experience the newest exotic locale: Alaska. The trip took about a week as the steamer wound along the "Inside Passage," stopping at towns and points of interest on the way. Sitka was the last Alaskan port of call, following a stop at the Muir Glacier (Glacier Bay), the northern turnaround point for virtually all of the voyages.

Figure 6: Northern Pacific Alaska Cruise Brochure.

Nature writer and Alaska lover John Muir summed up the attraction of a trip through the Inside Passage:

To the Lover of pure wildness Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world. No excursion that I know of may be made into any other American wilderness where so marvelous an abundance of noble, newborn scenery is so charmingly brought into view as on the trip through Alexander Archipelago to Fort Wrangell and Sitka. [1]

In this respect, early excursionists were seeking the same image as today's Alaskan visitor: a wild frontier, unspoiled nature, the "real" Alaska.

In the decades between the 1867 purchase of Alaska and the mid-1880s, most travel to Alaska was government or commerce related. Mainstream America knew little about Alaska and if a traveler had wanted to come north, transportation options were limited. After a trickle of adventurers opened the door in the 1880s the popularity of an Alaska trip rose dramatically, jumping from 1,650 visitors in 1884 to just over 5,000 by 1890. [2] One factor in the increase was the continued expansion of the national rail system that made Alaska much more accessible:

When the first railroad was built across the continent, an interesting branch of the stream of tourist travel began to set westward, to see golden California and its glorious Sierra and Yosemite. Then on the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad over the Cascade Mountains in the summer of 1887 the gate was opened wide to the icy northern wilderness. [3]

Figure 7: Adventurous excursionists at the Muir Glacier.

Another factor was a growing public awareness that there was more to Alaska than ice and snow. A longstanding information void was slowly being filled by a diverse collection of recognized experts with first hand knowledge. Perhaps the most influential of these was Sheldon Jackson.

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THE MEMBERS OF THE GREAT HARRIMAN EXPEDITION, WHICH ARRIVED HERE LAST WEDNESDAY, HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THEMSELVES VERY MUCH AND HAVE GAINED MUCH VALUABLE INFORMATION SINCE THEIR ARRIVAL. NUMEROUS SMALL PARTIES HAVE GONE OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS, ACCOMPANIED BY GUIDES AND FRIENDS, AND HAVE OBTAINED MANY VALUABLE SPECIMENS. MANY OF THESE SCIENTISTS HAVE CLIMBED THE VARIOUS MOUNTAINS AROUND SITKA, THE SHELDON JACKSON MUSEUM HAS BEEN A FAVORITE RESORT WITH MANY AND OTHERS HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME IN THE INDIAN VILLAGE.

THE ALASKAN, JUNE 17, 1899

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From his first trip to Alaska in 1877 virtually to the end of his life, Jackson was engaged in writing and lecturing about Alaska and its needs in order to gain support for his Presbyterian mission there. Jackson's message reached a broad audience, and many who heard him had the resources to travel to Alaska. Jackson himself even organized one of the earliest group tours of the Inside Passage in 1884, escorting a group of eastern teachers northward following a meeting of the National Education Association in Madison, Wisconsin. [4]

Another influential Alaskan promoter was nature writer and preservationist John Muir, who made his first Alaska trip in 1879. An immensely popular figure with a wide audience, Muir used vivid imagery to describe the wild beauty of Alaska and encourage tourists to make the trip. In an 1891 steamship brochure, Muir urged that "everybody able to breathe" should make the trip: "Go to Alaska, go and see." [5]

Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore was another early Alaska visitor whose impressions inspired many to head north. A wealthy and adventurous traveler, Scidmore was a noted geographer, photographer, author and the first woman to serve on the Board of Managers of The National Geographic Society. Scidmore visited Alaska in 1883 and 1884 and wrote a series of articles on her experiences. These articles, repackaged as the book Alaska, its Southern Coast and the Sitkan Archipelago, became one of the region's most popular early tourist guides. [6]

Figure 8: Promoters proclaimed Alaska "The Tourists Mecca."

Described as perhaps "the last grand expedition of the nineteenth century," the privately funded expedition of railroad tycoon E.H. Harriman in 1899 brought particularly long-lasting national attention to Alaska. In a combination luxury cruise and loosely defined scientific venture, Harriman invited notable scientists, artists and writers aboard the steamer George W Elder for a trip from Seattle to Siberia and back again. Along for the journey were photographer Edward S. Curtis, popular nature writers John Muir and John Burroughs, scientists C. Hart Merriman, and William Healey Dall, among others. The family component of the expedition, including Mrs. E.H. Harriman and the five Harriman children, showed the world that women and children as well as hardy pioneers could enjoy rugged Alaska. [7]

Another way mainstream America learned about Alaska was by visiting exhibits at major expositions. Turn of the century expositions with significant Alaska exhibits included the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893), the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis (1904), the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland (1905) and the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle (1909). Both the St. Louis and Portland exhibits benefited from display of the famous totem poles that would eventually find permanent homes at Sitka's Indian River Park.

As the Alaska tourist industry caught on, so did advertising and more focused promotion. Seattle business leaders were quick to recognize the economic potential of the Alaska travel market. The Seattle Chamber of Commerce, established in 1882, was an early advocate for transportation improvements, especially where they strengthened the Seattle-Alaska connection. The Chamber's Alaska Bureau, a special committee devoted to Alaska issues, organized well-publicized excursions to Alaska, bringing prominent business and government leaders northward to take a look for themselves. [8] The first Alaska Bureau trip, in 1913, included a special representative of President Woodrow Wilson, several newspaper editors, and Bureau members and guests. Noted northwest photographer Asahel Curtis, brother to Edward S. Curtis, was along to record the trip.

Figure 9: The Alaska Bureau visits Sitka's park, June 1913. Asahel Curtis photograph. Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma.

After departing one of the major American west-coast ports, a typical Inside Passage tour would proceed through British Columbia, perhaps stopping at Victoria or Nanaimo. Once in Alaskan waters, the steamers would stop at Wrangell, Juneau, Glacier Bay and eventually, Sitka. As a population center and a seat of government, a stop at Sitka was expected. But it was a popular stop because it offered a variety of attractions.

The phrase "Steamer Day" was universally understood by all residents. With the signal that a ship was due into port, many townspeople responded by going down to the wharf to be part of the action. A crowd often gathered at the wharf to celebrate the ship's arrival. Native curio sellers were also in place, ready to tempt new arrivals with their displays of artifacts and handmade items.

Local businesses welcomed the income from the visitor industry but residents also relished the arrival of merchandise, mail and new faces in town. Sitkans were ardent promoters of their town and seemed pleased to share it. Unlike the choreographed motor tour provided most cruise ship tourists today, early excursionists roamed the town on foot, almost as temporary residents. Visitors were invited to participate in the best that Sitka had to offer.

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THE SHORT STAY OF THE STEAMER DOES NOT SUFFICE TO EXHAUST OR EVEN TO ENJOY THE PLEASURES WHICH THE PEACE AFFORDS. THE HURRIED PURCHASE OF INDIAN CURIOS, A HASTY INSPECTION OF THE GRECO-RUSSIAN CHURCH, A GLANCE AT THE MISSION SCHOOL, AND A RACE TO INDIAN RIVER TAKE ALL THE TOURIST'S TIME; THE STEAMER'S WHISTLE BLOWS AND OFF THE PASSENGERS GO IN A HURRY...

THE ALASKAN, MAY 17, 1890

UPON THE WHOLE, OUR SUMMER VISITORS ARE A FINE CLASS OF PEOPLE. SOME OF THE WEALTHIEST AND MOST DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE FOUND AMONG THE ALASKAN TOURISTS, AND THEIR VISITS AREA SOURCE OF GREAT PLEASURE TO OUR PEOPLE.

NORTH STAR AUGUST 1896

THE EXCURSION SEASON HAS CLOSED, THE BEAUTIFUL EXCURSION STEAMER QUEEN HAS MADE HER LAST TRIP AND SITKA HAS AGAIN SETTLED DOWN TO HER WONTED QUIET LIFE. HUNDREDS OF TOURISTS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD, TOURISTS GREAT AND TOURISTS SMALL HAVE BEEN SWARMING OUR COAST ALL SUMMER LONG.

NORTH STAR AUGUST 1896

ALASKA EXCURSION SAILS TOMORROW

EVERYTHING IS IN READINESS FOR THE SAILING OF THE ALASKA EXCURSION OF THE NEW SEATTLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TOMORROW ON THE JEFFERSON. THERE WILL BE 120 EXCURSIONISTS ON BOARD THAT HAVE BEEN BOOKED FOR THE ROUND TRIP ALONG THE ALASKAN COAST, DOWN THE YUKON RIVER AND BACK TO SEATTLE.

ALASKA DAILY EMPIRE, JUNE 20, 1913

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Figure 10: Alaska Bureau excursionists on the Jefferson.

Leaving the wharf, visitors often strolled down the main street amid the remaining Russian buildings, including the Russian church with its icons and artifacts. Many tourists also chose to walk through the Native village or "Ranche":

Wandering at will through the native village, you may enter a house here and there and will be asked to buy something. Do not confine your attentions to the front row of houses, those along the beach, but go back through those narrow alleys to the other streets; or you will have no fair idea of the Ranch. [9]

Following the road away from town, visitors passed the Russian Orphanage (known today as the Russian Bishop's House) before coming to another popular attraction: the Presbyterian mission, including Sheldon Jackson's famous museum. A detour from the main walk led to one of the United States Department of Agriculture's first experimental stations in Alaska, boasting exotic fruits like apricots and hybrid berries. At the end of the road was the park with its newly installed collection of totem poles from southeast villages. All surrounded by beautiful scenery, breathtaking sunsets and pure, clean water and air.

Figure 11: "Eskimo" curios for sale along Lincoln Street.

The well-informed visitor relied on guidebooks to introduce the ports of call and describe the sights worth seeing. These ranged from the accounts of published travel writers like Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, Septima Collis, and Abby Johnson Woodman, to locally produced sources of information. [10] One of the more elaborate local guides was a step-by-step walking tour prepared by the Presbyterian Mission's physician B.K. Wilbur. It was published in the town newspaper, The Alaskan, and also in the mission newspaper, The North Star. The Alaskan also printed its own Tourist's Guide to Sitka. [11]

Residents capitalized on the tourist trade in a number of ways. The Alaskan published special tourist editions [12] and even the regular editions, which included the ship's passenger list, were a popular memento. The mission openly welcomed visitors, some of whom undoubtedly became donors and supporters.

Transporting tourists was another source of opportunity. The Presbyterian Mission had one early tourist wagon but entrepreneur Charles Haley may have been the first to use the park to market his service. In 1901, Haley began offering a tour to the park in a converted freight wagon. By 1902 he had added a sign advertising "To the Indian River Park and Totem Poles." Although it would be another four years before the full collection of poles would be installed at the park, the Saanaheit totem pole and house posts, the beginning of the park's association with totem poles, were already on display at the clearing known today as the Fort Site.

Whether park visitors arrived by wagon or on foot, the essence of its attraction was simple. Residents and visitors alike enjoyed the area's scenic beauty and welcomed the opportunity for a walk, some quiet reflection, and perhaps a picnic along a wooded path. This was especially true when the path was relatively level and dry in a region otherwise characterized by mountains, muskeg and tangled forest.

The walk taken by tourists in 1890 was longer than that afforded by the boundaries of the present-day park, often including the upper reaches of the river. Visitors could walk in a loop, taking in the lower river and trails, the Indian River Falls, and the Military Cemetery before returning to town. Boundaries became more focused on the lower river, trails, and totem pole collection with Monument status in 1910. [13]

Through the years, residents as well as visitors commented on the park's romantic mystique. Some of this may be attributed to the romantic views of nature that were common themes in Victorian times. Others have suggested that the park's association with romance resulted from fact that its secluded paths and rustic benches simply provided a place for couples to meet in private. Regardless, the romantic reputation spread and the park eventually became known as "Lovers' Lane." Histories and guidebooks perpetuated both the name and the association.

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STEAMER DAY...ON TYING UP TO THE DOCK THE PASSENGERS MADE A GENERAL RUSH FOR THE SHORE, IN SPITE OF HEAVY RAIN. SOON THEY WERE SCATTERED OVER THE TOWN, SOME AT THE POST OFFICE, SOME BUYING CURIOS, SOME VISITING THE GREEK CHURCH, SOME WALKING OUT TO INDIAN RIVER. "STEAMER DAY" IS A GREAT DAY IN THE ALASKAN TOWNS. IT MEANS THAT THE WEEKLY MAILS HAVE COME AND THAT FRIENDS FROM "BELOW" ARE ON THE STREET A SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE ALASKAN WAS ISSUED, GIVING THE LIST OF PASSENGERS - A KIND OF CELEBRATION OF THE GREAT EVENT OF THE WEEK

SHELDON JACKSON SCRAPBOOK 1889

LAST SATURDAY EVENING SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS ORGANIZED AN IMPROMPTU HOP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE STEAMER ELDER'S PASSENGERS, WHO WERE SITKA GUESTS ON THE FOURTH [OF JULY]. IT WAS A MOST ENJOYABLE AFFAIR...AFTER SUPPER WAS OVER A GOODLY NUMBER OF LADIES AND GENTLEMEN TOOK A STROLL TO INDIAN RIVER TO ADMIRE THE RISING OF THE MOON, AND ILLUMINATED BY LUNA'S SILVERY RAYS A PLEASANT DANCE ON THE GREEN SWARD AT INDIAN RIVER WAS ENJOYED. SOME OF THE VOCALISTS IN THE PARTY RENDERED A FEW DELIGHTFUL SONGS IN THE STILLNESS OF THE NIGHT ON THE BRIDGE CROSSING THE RIVER...

THE ALASKAN, JULY 12,1890

THE FORESTS OF ALASKA ARE ITS REVELATIONS. THE SINGLE STREET OF SITKA TERMINATES WHERE THE BEAUTIFUL INDIAN RIVER LOOSES ITSELF IN SITKA BAY, WHERE THE FOREST BEGINS. THE SPRUCE, PINE, HEMLOCK, FIR AND CEDAR RISE ABOVE A TANGLED UNDERGROWTH WHICH SHOWS NO SIGNS OF HAVING EVER BEEN VISITED BY FOREST FIRE...THANKS ARE DUE TO LT GILMAN FOR HIS RUSTIC BRIDGES BUILT ACROSS INDIAN RIVER WHOSE CRYSTAL WATERS RUSH...THE ARTISTS OF OUR PARTY ARE BUSY WITH THEIR BRUSHES. [15]

...THE LOCAL WEEKLY PAPER, THE ALASKAN, WAS ENTERPRISING ENOUGH TO GET OUT AN EXTRA IN A COUPLE OF HOURS WITH THE PASSENGER LIST AND THIS EDITION THE YOUNG LADIES BOUGHT BY THE DOZEN AND MAILED TO THEIR FRIENDS AS CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAD BEEN SO NEAR THE NORTH POLE.

THE ALASKAN, DECEMBER 3, 1887

AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT SITKA CAN BOAST OF AS AN ATTRACTION IS A PROMENADE, A WELL-GRAVELED WALK THAT THE RUSSIANS BUILT ALONG THE CURVING LINE OF THE BEACH, AND THROUGH THE WOODS, TO THE BANKS OF THE PRETTY INDIAN RIVER. UP AND DOWN THIS WALK THE RUSSIANS USED TO STROLL, AND DURING THE STAY OF THE MAIL STEAMER THE WALK TO INDIAN RIVER IS TAKEN ONCE AND TWICE A DAY BY THE PASSENGERS, WHO ARE ENRAPTURED BY THE SCENERY AND GIVEN SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE HEART OF THE WOODS AND THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOREST GROWTH. [16]

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Even before it was designated a monument, certain areas within the park were notably popular. The series of bridges that crossed the river over the years were favorite features. So was the far end of the peninsula, known as "the point."

By the 1920s, the historical values of the park had become more apparent to visitors. After the first totem pole was introduced to the park in 1902, the poles began to vie with the natural setting for the tourists' attention. Tourists (then as now) found the poles to be an irresistible backdrop for a photograph. A 1929 newspaper article allows that the park has some beautiful forests, but describes the principal attractions as the totem poles and the historical events surrounding the Battle of 1804. [14]

Figure 12: Sitka's most distinguished visitors made the walk to the park. Here President Warren G. Harding (center, in front of totem pole), Mrs. Harding (in plaid coat), and entourage are seen in a stereoscopic view at the park during their trip to Alaska in 1923.

Early visitors to the park have left a rich record of their impressions of the park in personal journals, books and magazine articles. Consistently these convey a sense of the turn of the century appreciation of nature and the benefits of a quiet walk along a river, a forest path or the seashore. These are the values that made the park a source of pride and enjoyment for residents as well as visitors, and ultimately led to its establishment as a public park.

Figure 13: Early park visitors on a somewhat dilapidated footbridge over Indian River.

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ALL THE WOODLAND THAT BORDERS INDIAN RIVER IS A PART OF AN ENCHANTED FOREST, AND MORE LOVELY THAN WORDS CAN TELL... [17]

EVERYWHERE IS WILD, RICH BEAUTY SO RESTFUL, SO LOVELY, THAT ONE TURNS WITH REGRET FROM EACH BRIDGE OR FOOTPATH, FEELING THAT NOWHERE CAN THERE BE EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL SCENES AND TEMPTING VISTAS. BEWARE HOW YOU PROMISE YOURSELF OR OTHERS TO SPEND EVEN A DAY IN THIS MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOT, FOR DURING THE SUMMER TWILIGHT DOES NOT SINK INTO DEEPEST DARKNESS BUT IT SLOWLY MELTS INTO THE ROSY BRIGHTNESS OF MORNING. THE DAYLIGHT LINGERS AS IF ITS TENDER CARE WERE NEEDED TO WATCH OVER SUCH PERFECT LOVELINESS. ONLY THE GREATER STARS AND PLANETS ARE PERMITTED TO SHOW THEIR REFLECTIONS INTO THE SWIFT FLOWING LITTLE RIVER OR UPON THE CHANNELS MORE PLACID BOSOM.

THE ALASKAN, APRIL 12, 1890

TURNING FROM THE WORK OF MEN TO THE WORK OF THE CREATOR, SCARCELY A MORE LOVELY WALK AMONG THE MOST PRIMITIVE NATURE CAN BE FOUND, THAN THE INDIAN RIVER TRAIL. THIS IS ABOUT A MILE FROM TOWN AND GOOD WALKS WILL BE FOUND ALL ALONG THE RIVER BANKS. ON A FAIR DAY THE SHIFTING SUNLIGHT PLAYING ON THE VARIED SHADES OF GREEN IN MOSS AND FERN, FORMS AN ENCHANTING PICTURE, WHICH WILL NOT BE THE LEAST SURPRISING NOR THE LEAST HAPPY OF YOUR MEMORIES OF ALASKA.

THE ALASKAN, JUNE 5, 1897

DR. [SHELDON] JACKSON ACCOMPANIED US TO INDIAN RIVER. IT IS A WILDLY ROMANTIC STREAM, AT SOME POINTS OVERARCHED BY BIRCHES AND WHITE AND YELLOW CEDARS, AND ALONG ITS BANKS WERE ALDERS AND THICK CLUMPS OF WILLOWS SPRINGING FROM THE SOFT GREEN MOSS WHICH GROWS BENEATH THEM. [18]

THE SCENERY ABOUT SITKA IS SIMPLY LOVELY I KNOW THAT'S THE WAY A WOMAN DESCRIBES THINGS BUT THAT JUST ABOUT FITS THE SITUATION. THE BEAUTIFUL BAY, WITH THE TOWERING MOUNTAINS, AND THE TROPICAL SCENERY UP THE INDIAN RIVER CANNOT BE SURPASSED ANYWHERE ON EARTH...

THE ALASKAN AUGUST 9, 1902

HEARING THAT THE INDIAN RIVER IN THE SUBURBS OF THE TOWN IS WORTHY OF A VISIT, WE ACCEPTED THE ESCORT OF OUR TWO YOUNG FRIENDS, AND AFTER A WALK OF HALF A MILE (I BELIEVE I ALREADY SAID THAT THERE ARE FEW HORSES IN ALASKA, AND NO CARRIAGES) WE CAME TO A REALLY VERY QUAINT AND ROMANTIC LANE, LEADING TO A CLEAR AND RAPID STREAM OVER WHICH IS THROWN A PRETTY AND RUSTIC SUSPENSION BRIDGE. IT IS A VERY CHARMING SPOT, RICH WITH FERNS OF MOST DELICATE TEXTURE AND BRIGHTEST GREEN AND VELVET MOSSES, SUCH AS THOSE WHICH BORDER THE FOOTPATHS THROUGH THE WOODS IN ENGLAND, A BOWER OF WILD FOLIAGE IN FACT, OF EXQUISITE COLOR. [19]

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Figure 14: E. W. Merrill photograph of Lovers' Lane.

Figure 15a: View of Sitka harbor (top right). Figure 15b: Street scene, Sitka, Alaska. Note Revenue Center in background, right (bottom left).