Iñupiaq hunter watching for seal, Nome, Alaska. ASL-P240-210, George Parks Photograph Collection, Alaska State Library-Historical Collections.
The Alaska Steamship Company’s Steamship “Jefferson” in Skagway, Alaska, circa 1906. Courtesy Candy Waugaman.
Can-Can girls at the Skagway Days of 98 celebration, 1960’s. Courtesy Candy Waugaman.
Welcome to the Alaska Historical Society
The Alaska Historical Society (AHS) is a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization dedicated to the promotion of Alaska history by the exchange of ideas and information, the preservation and interpretation of resources, and the education of Alaskans about their heritage. Governed by a 15-member board, the Society provides a forum and a vehicle to achieve these goals. AHS is a membership organization with 430+ members. If you would like to join us, visit our membership page.
Recordings We are working to get the recordings from this year's conference online. If you do not see the one you're looking for available, please check back next week. https://youtu.be/CzjPy9jdTyI?si=oJ0VaYWx5IvKy4mU Keynote: Governing the Great Land. A conversation between Lietenant Governor Fran Ulmer and AHS Board Member Phil Wight https://youtu.be/gBZOmAvY1-M?si=9eIZoMIVjg0FnMTz Session 1: Historians Interpret Alaska Historians https://youtu.be/t_XiyAXjlyE?si=gJY7ARVYXLVjAWjA Session 2: Economic Development Rights & Responsibilities https://youtu.be/K9OP5_rYmMI?si=QQJ0Jo3QTYkyvoz9 Special Session: Exploring Attu's Underwater Battlefield and Offshore Environment: Initial Results Coming Soon:Thursday, October 10Session 3:... (Read More)
The Alaska Historical Society is inviting nominations for its annual awards to individuals, historical societies and public institutions for notable research, writing and promotion of Alaska history. Special exhibits, historic walking tours, sign projects, oral histories, anthologies, digitizing archival materials, creating a website and commemorating an anniversary are among projects that have been recognized in the past. Nominations are due September 15, 2024. A nomination should have sufficient detail and supporting materials. It should be submitted to the AHS Awards... (Read More)
COLLEGE PARK, MD, June 17, 2024 — Thirty-nine Alaska students recently competed in the National History Day® National Contest, held in College Park, Maryland, from June 9–13, with many receiving national recognition for their research projects. Four middle school students from Whitestone Training Center in Delta Junction - Amber Baranoski, Rene Greenleaf, Valerie Greenleaf and Brady Seeger - earned Second Place for the entire country in the Junior Group Performance Category for their project, “The Hello Girls: Turning Points in... (Read More)
Student and Emerging Professional Awards Alaska Historical Society Annual Meeting and Conference,Rights and Responsibilities in Alaska HistoryCordova / Virtual, October 9-12, 2024 The Alaska Historical Society offers two scholarships to attend its annual meeting and conference. They are for post-secondary students researching an Alaska history topic or for an emerging professional in a related field. Awards consist of travel expenses and a conference registration package. Eligibility: Applicant must be a member of the Alaska Historical Society at the time of... (Read More)
Ian Hartman and David Reamer Honored as Historians of the Year Two prominent Anchorage historians who wrote the ground-breaking book, Black Lives in Alaska: A History of African Americans in the Far Northwest, were named historians of the year by the Alaska Historical Society over the weekend at its annual conference on the Kenai Peninsula. University of Alaska Anchorage history professor Ian C. Hartman and public historian and Anchorage Daily News columnist David Reamer were awarded the James H. Ducker... (Read More)
