Alaska GenWeb Project - Alaska Census Information


ALASKA CENSUS INFORMATION

Early Alaska census estimates are incomplete, and in some cases, wild guestimates. During the period when Alaska was controlled by Russian, various estimates of population were made, but only as to the lands that Russian controlled. Keep in mind that Russia only controlled the coasts of southern Alaska. Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867.


1762	A Russian trader from Kamchatka reports that Kadiak Island (Kodiak Island) was thickly inhabited
1768-1769	Captains Krenitzin and Levashef explored a few Aleutian islands and the coast of Western Alaska. They stated that the native population was reduced by half from what it was at the advent of the Russian fur hunter era.
1784	Grigor Shelikof, who was established on Kadiak Island (Kodiak) reported to the Russian Empress that Russian-America had 50,000 persons
1792	Eurastratus Delarof made the first enumeration of the villages on Kadiak Island (Kodiak) and possibly one or two nearby villages on the mainland. Delarof enumerated 6510 persons.
1792	Captain Sarychef, of the exploring expedition of Admiral Joseph Billings reported 2500 natives (male and female) in the Aleutians. Several years later, and actual count by Nicholas Rezanof reduced this number to 1492.
1796	By order of Alexander Baranoff, the same lands enumerated by Delarof above, were counted. This enumeration showed 6200 persons.
1818	Captain Hagemeister of the Russian navy enumerated the natives over which the Russian American Company had total control. This enumeration shows an aggregate of 8893 (4452 males and 4441 females).
1819	Captain Hagemeister again shows substantially the same enumeration of 9019, plus an estimate of 5000 Thlingits, for a total of 14,019.
1822	Enumeration shows 8286 and omits the Thlingits, because Russia did not control them.
1825	Baron Wrangell, chief manager of the Russian colonies stated to the Russian government that the native population under his control was 8481 (both sexes).
1830	Veniaminof counted the Kadiak and Aleutians district. Kadiak had decreased from 6410 to 3396, and the Aleutian district had decreased from 1900 to 1460.
1831	Veniaminof conducted a complete enumeration of the Aleutian islands and gave a total of 1515 persons
1836	Veniaminof, now stationed at Sitka, estimates the Thlingit population at 5850.
1839	Veniaminof estimates entire population of Alaska at 39,813, which proved to be fairly accurate.
1860	The Holy Synod published in its annual report a census of Christians in Russian America. This report showed 9845 (5127 males and 4718 females), exclusive of the Employees of the Russian American Company.
1862	10,156 persons were reported in Russian America in Tikhmenief's Historical Review.
1867	The United States purchases Alaska from Russia.
1868	US Major General H.W. Halleck and Rev Vincent Collyer come up with guestimates that are not considered reliable.
1870	No census taken, although there is an extant Sitka census taken by military officers
1880	There is an extant Sitka census taken by military officers. There was a count of accessible villages and estimate of other settlements. No name lists survive, and it is not known if a name list ever existed.
1890	Census taken, but burned. Census Report online here.
1900 to present	Census taken.
	1880-1900 Census Districts Map
	1910-1920 Census Districts Map
	Indian Population in the United States and Alaska: 1910

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