SITKA Administrative History

Chapter 1:
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE (continued)

Early component resources

President Benjamin A. Harrison set aside much of the area now known as Sitka National Historical Park by proclamation in 1890. The area, of approximately 50 acres, was described as:

The tract of land bounded on the west by the line established by the survey made for the Presbyterian Mission, and along the shore line of the bay at low tide to the mouth of Indian River, and across the mouth of said river and along its right bank for an average width of 500 feet, along said bank to the point known as Indian River falls, and also on the left bank of said river from said fall an average of two hundred feet, from said falls to the eastern line or boundary as shown on the mission plat, for a public park.

The President designated the area as a public park, but did not further specify the values to be protected. His proclamation also, in its first paragraph, set aside nearby Navy Creek as a water source for naval and mercantile vessels and reserved the whole of Japonski Island for naval and military purposes. [3]

District of Alaska Governor Lyman E. Knapp initiated the chain of events that led to the proclamation. In November of 1889, Knapp advised Secretary of the Interior John W. Noble that it was time to reserve lands that might be needed for coaling stations, government wharves, public buildings, parade grounds, and bar racks at Douglas Island, Juneau, Kodiak, Sitka, Unalaska, and Wrangell. He cited the possibility that Congress would extend the land laws of the United States to Alaska during its next session. Knapp reported that some individuals in Alaska had begun to stake pre-emptive claims in anticipation of Congressional action. [4]

Early in the 1880s, three of the naval officers stationed at Sitka had claimed homesteads extending from what later became the location of Sheldon Jackson College to Jamestown Bay. In 1882, the officers refused to relinquish their claims in favor of the school but they never perfected them. Also in 1882, American Civil War veteran Nicholas Haley filed a homestead claim "on Indian River N. bank, all above high tide. It shall be known as the Sitka Park and Haley's Homestead." Haley, too, never perfected his title, but the claims clearly indicated that the traditional park on Indian River was in danger of going into private ownership. [5]

The secretary responded to Knapp with the suggestion that he empanel commissioners who would make recommendations regarding lands in Alaska that should be set aside for public purposes. Knapp then appointed commissioners in several communities. For Sitka, he selected John G. Brady, missionary and merchant; Lt. Cmdr. O.W. Farenholt, commanding officer of USS Pinta, the navy vessel stationed at Sitka from 1884 to 1897; and Henry H. Haydon, Surveyor General and ex-officio Secretary of Alaska. Knapp asked the three to

serve jointly as commissioners to examine and report as to what lands in and about Sitka should be permanently reserved by the Government for its uses for public buildings, barracks, parade grounds, parks, wharves, coaling stations, or other purposes. [6]

The commissioners made their recommendations in a March 31, 1890, report to Governor Knapp. Without explanation, they stated:

We would also recommend for reservation as a public park all that plat of ground, bounded on the West by the line as established by the survey made for the Presbyterian Mission, as above referred to, and along the shors [sic] line of the Bay at low tide to the mouth of the Indian River, and across the mouth of said River, along its right bank for an average width of 500 feet along said bank, to the point known as Indian River Falls: and also on the left bank of said river from said falls, an average width of 200 feet from said falls to the Eastern line or boundry [sic] as shown on the Mission plat. [7]

The commissioners' recommendations were summarized for Secretary Noble in an April 2, 1890, letter from the governor. The secretary, in turn, forwarded the recommendations to the President on June 9, 1890. The President responded with his proclamation, quoted in part above, and an endorsement appended to the secretary's letter.

June 21st, 1890

In accordance with the recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior, the above-described tracts of land in the Territory of Alaska are hereby reserved for the uses and purposes described by the Secretary, until otherwise directed by Congress.

(signed)
Benj Harrison [8]