Belkofski, Alaska Explained

Official Name:Belkofski
Native Name:Taxtamax̂
Settlement Type:Alaska Native Village
Pushpin Map:Alaska
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Alaska
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Alaska
Subdivision Type2:Borough
Subdivision Name2:Aleutians East
Population As Of:2010
Population Total:0
Timezone:Alaska (AKST)
Utc Offset:-9
Timezone Dst:AKDT
Utc Offset Dst:-8
Elevation M:31
Elevation Ft:102
Coordinates:55.0889°N -162.0306°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:99571
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:907 (local prefix: 532)
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:02-05970
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID

Belkofski (Taxtamax̂ in Aleut; Russian: Белкофский) is an unincorporated community and Alaska Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA) in the Aleutians East Borough in Alaska. It has been uninhabited since the 1980s, reporting a population of zero in 1990, 2000 and 2010.

Location

Belkofski is on a point at the eastern end of the Alaska Peninsula, 12 miles southeast of King Cove.

History

Russians originally invaded Aleuts at Belkofski in 1823 to harvest sea otters in the area; at its height, it was the area's most important village. It was called "S(elo) Belkovskoe" from "belka," meaning "squirrel."[1] In the 1880s, three stores were constructed, which were stocked with goods from San Francisco. There was a Russian Orthodox Holy Resurrection church built at that time as well. When the sea otter population diminished, so did the population. The economy switched to trapping wild game, and many of Belkofski’s inhabitants would move to the neighboring communities of Sand Point, Alaska and King Cove. The final few inhabitants vacated Belkofski for King Cove in the 1980s, bringing everything with them and establishing a new Orthodox Church.

The village’s abandoned buildings reportedly burned down in 2013.[2]

Demographics

Belkofski first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated village of Belkovsky with 268 residents (making it the 25th largest community in the Alaska Territory).[3] It appeared as "Belkovsky" in 1890,[4] as Belkofski Village in 1900,[5] it did not report in 1910,[6] and as Belkofski from 1920[7] -1970,[8] with the exception of 1940[9] when it was erroneously reported as "Balkofski." Beginning in 1980,[10] it was classified as an "Alaska Native Village" and from 1990[11] through 2010[12] censuses as an Alaska Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA), but on the last three censuses has reported a population of zero.

Climate

The area is in a maritime climate zone. Temperatures range from -13F78F. Average snowfall is, with an annual precipitation of a year.

Elevation

Generally above sea level.

References

  1. Web site: Domestic Names.
  2. Web site: Belkofski . Ak . 2013-05-01 . Historic Alaskan village destroyed by fire . 2024-04-28 . OCA.org.
  3. Web site: Statistics of the Population of Alaska . United States Census Bureau . 1880.
  4. Web site: Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890 . United States Census Bureau . Government Printing Office.
  5. Web site: Statistics of Population - Populations of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1890 and 1900 . 426 . 1900.
  6. Web site: Supplement for Alaska - Population, Agriculture, Manufactures, Mines, and Quarries . United States Census Bureau . 1910.
  7. Web site: Population of Outlying Possessions by Civil Divisions: 1920 and earlier years . United States Census Bureau . 1920 . 680 & 681.
  8. Web site: Bureau of the Census . 1970 Census of Population - Characteristics of the Population - Alaska . January 1973.
  9. Web site: Alaska - Number of Inhabitants . United States Census Bureau . 1940.
  10. Web site: Characteristics of the Populations - Number of Inhabitants - Alaska . United States Census Bureau . May 1982.
  11. Web site: 1990 Census of Population and Housing - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Alaska . United States Census Bureau . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223233331/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph5/cph-5-3.pdf . February 23, 2014 . dead.
  12. Web site: U.S. Census Bureau . 2010 Census of Population and Housing - Alaska . U.S. Government Printing Office . https://web.archive.org/web/20140224134536/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-1-3.pdf . February 24, 2014 . June 2012 . dead.

External links

55.0889°N -162.0306°W