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HAINES, ALASKA - USA
Haines is a city located in Haines Borough, Alaska. As of the 2000 census,
the population of the city is 1,811.
Geography
Haines is located at 59°14'2" North, 135°26'49" West (59.233800,
-135.447009)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
55.8 km˛ (21.5 mi˛). 35.0 km˛ (13.5 mi˛) of it is land and 20.8 km˛ (8.0 mi˛)
of it is water. The total area is 37.26% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 1,811 people, 752 households, and 505
families residing in the city. The population density is 51.7/km˛ (134.0/mi˛).
There are 895 housing units at an average density of 25.6/km˛ (66.2/mi˛).
The racial makeup of the city is 79.62% White, 0.17% Black or African
American, 13.86% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.44%
from other races, and 5.14% from two or more races. 1.55% of the population
are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 752 households out of which 33.4% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 53.9% are married couples living together, 8.9% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% are non-families.
27.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.2% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.40 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18,
5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100
females there are 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 99.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $39,926, and the median
income for a family is $51,316. Males have a median income of $41,103 versus
$30,278 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,505. 7.9% of
the population and 5.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 9.2% are under the age of 18 and 2.4% are 65
or older.
History
The area around present-day Haines was called "Dtehshuh" or "end of the
trail" by the Chilkat group of Tlingit. It received this name because they
could portage (carry) their canoes from the trail they used to trade with
the interior, which began at the outlet of the Chilkat River, to Dtehshuh
and save 32 km (20 miles) of rowing around the Chilkat Peninsula. George
Dickinson, an agent for the North West Trading Company, settled at Dtehshuh
in 1880. In 1881, the Chilkat asked Sheldon Jackson to send missionaries to
the area. S. Young Hall, a Presbyterian minister, was sent. He built the
Willard mission and school at Dtehshuh, on land given the church by the
Chilkat. The mission was renamed Haines in 1884 in honor of Mrs. F. E.
Haines, the chairwoman of the committee that raised funds for its
construction. Four canneries were constructed around the mission by 1900.
During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898-1899, Haines grew as a supply center,
since the Dalton Trail from Chilkat Inlet offered a route to the Yukon for
prospectors. Gold was also discovered 36 miles from Haines in 1899 at the
Porcupine District. During this time, the name Haines came into use for the
area around the mission and not for just the mission itself. With the
finishing of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway in neighboring Skagway,
the Dalton Trail was mostly abandoned and Haines declined economically.
Fort William H. Seward, a United States Army installation was constructed
south of Haines in 1904, on property donated by the mission from its
holdings. In 1922, the fort was renamed Chilkoot Barracks. It was the only
United States Army post in Alaska before World War II. During World War II,
it was used as a supply point for some U. S. Army activities in Alaska. The
fort was deactivated in 1946 and sold as surplus property to a private group
who called it Port Chilkoot. In 1970, Port Chilkoot merged with Haines into
one municipality. In 1972, the fort was designated a national historic site
and the name, Fort William Steward, was restored.
The last of the four canneries closed in 1972 due to declining fish stocks.
Logging and sawing timber has been an industry around Haines but has
declined also in recent years. Tourism is now an important source of income
in the community.
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