Wrangell, Alaska
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Population: 2,144
City Hall 907-874-2381
The city of Wrangell is the only community in Alaska to have been ruled under three flags and four nations: Russia, Great Britain, United States and Tlingit. In 1867 the United States bought Alaska and the territorial Fort Wrangell was established and named for the Russian Governor Baron Ferdinand Von Wrangel, who ruled from Russia's Alaskan capital in Sitka.
Wrangell is known as the "gateway to the Stikine River" The Tlingit Indians were its first known inhabitants. Then in 1861 gold was discovered on the Stikine and the first of three major rushes begin. During the rush, Wyatt Earp served as deputy Marshall for 10 days before deciding it was to wild for him.
Naturalist John Muir based his explorations into the Stikine from Wrangell between 1879 and 1880. Wrangell flourished with several boom/bust cycles from fur trapping & framing to commercial fishing & processing. Thousand of Chinese were brought into Wrangell to work in the Canneries. The first sawmill in Alaska established in Wrangell in 1888. I t marked the beginning of Wrangell's long history with the timber industry.
While you are in Wrangell, rest at the Chief Shakes Hot Springs, go see the many petroglyphs left behind, visit Rainbow Falls or take a ride up the river to name just a few.
Alaska Power & Telephone offers telephone, Internet, DSL and paging service in the Wrangell area.
