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
Our 2024 Alaska Historical Society Conference begins Wednesday, October 8 in Cordova. Remote participants can join us Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. for our first keynote.
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.
The Alaska Historical Society Invites You to Join Us in Cordova or virtually October 9- 12, 2024 Check out the PDF of our Conference ProgramDownload Located near the mouth of the Copper River, Cordova was a crossroads of trade and interaction among Eyak, Tlingit, Ahtna and Chugach peoples when Europeans sailed into Prince William Sound in the 1700s. Founded in 1909 as a railway terminus to deliver copper from the Kennecott Mines, Cordova also was near Katalla, Alaska’s earliest oil... (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)
