SITKA

sĭtˈkə, city (1990 pop. 8,588), Sitka census div., SE Alaska, in the Alexander Archipelago, on Baranof Island; inc. 1971. Fishing, its first industry, remains important; salmon, halibut, red snapper, crab, herring, abalone, and clams are caught. There are also canning, lumbering, and pulp-processing enterprises. Sitka was founded (1799) by Aleksandr Baranov. Destroyed by Tlingits in 1802, the city then was rebuilt and became the flourishing capital of Russian America. There, in 1867, the United States officially took possession of Alaska from Russia, and Sitka remained the capital until 1900. Points of interest include Sitka National Historical Park, scene of a decisive battle (1804) between the Russians and the Native Americans; the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Michael (built 1844–48); and Castle Hill, site of the transfer of Alaska to the United States, which is commemorated by the annual Alaska Day Festival in October. State logging championships are also held in Sitka. Mt. Edgecumbe, on an island to the west, can be seen from Sitka's harbor.

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