American Sitka

American Sitka. . As Alaska evolved from department to district to territory, and finally, to state, this hill went through a series of changes, eventually becoming Baranof Castle State Historic Site., Who's the Boss? , A short lull followed the excitement of the 1867 Alaska Transfer Ceremony, but soon, change marched across Alaska. The US Army took command of Sitka, governing Alaska as a military district for 10 uneasy years. Then, the Department of the Treasury took over jurisdiction, followed by the US Navy. Finally, the Organic Act of 1884 authorized a governor and promised Alaska a long-awaited civil government., Growing Pains , An extravagant house on the hill, completed in 1837, is often called Baranov's Castle and housed the Russian governors. It was the residence of Alaska's first American commanders. In 1894, the "castle" burned down; five years later, the Office of Agricultural Experiment Stations took advantage of the space and built its headquarters on this hill. By 1906, the booming town of Juneau supplanted Sitka as Alaska's seat of government thanks to the rising importance of the mining industry in the territory., The Wonder Years , The vacant agricultural experiment station was demolished and this hill was designated a territorial park in 1955. On January 3, 1959, Alaska was admitted as the 49th state in the Union and an unofficial flag-raising ceremony took place atop this very hill. With Alaska's shift to statehood, the territorial park became Baranof Castle State Historic Site., Captions , (Left) Aerial photo of Baranof Castle State Historic Site , 1970. Sitka Pictures Collection, Alaska Office of History and Archaeology , (Center) Baranov's Castle from the water pre-1894. The deteriorated condition of the building can be seen. William R. Norton Photographs, ASL-P226-358, Alaska State Library Historical Collections
(Right, top) Baranov's Castle burning in 1894. Isabel Miller Museum, Sitka, Sitka Pictures Collection, Alaska Office of History and Archaeology , (Right, bottom) Photo of the site circa 1940s or early 1950s by The Photo Shop Studio, Sitka courtesy of Candy Waugaman, Sitka Pictures Collection, Alaska Office of History and Archaeology , (Background) Sitka from "Castle Hill", 1886. Alaska State Library, Michael Z. Vinokouroff Photograph Collection P243-2-076