Juneau History Facts and Timeline

(Juneau, Alaska - AK, USA)

This part of Alaska was originally occupied by the indigenous Tlingit peoples. History shows that the tribes of both the Auke and the Taku lived in the Juneau region for literally thousands of years, developing a sizeable, self-sufficient community.

These native American Indians chose to base themselves in Juneau, since the Gastineau Channel offered not only good connections for their boats, but it was also an extremely fertile fishing ground.

It was not until the very last decade of the 18th century that the first Europeans laid sight on Juneau. Captain George Vancouver chartered an expedition around much of the globe between the years 1791 and 1795, arriving here in 1794. However, upon seeing the icy Gastineau Channel, the captain decided that it would not be possible to sail along.

Gold Prospectors

In the year 1880, a mining baron from Sitka spoke to many of the native chiefs, offering them a big cash incentive if they could lead him to any locations where gold ore might be extracted. In Juneau, the Tlingit chief was insistent that an area known as Snow Slide was the place to look for gold.

Two experienced Canadian miners and gold prospectors, Richard Tighe Harris and Joseph Juneau, were sent to investigate and it was not long until they were digging up small chunks of gold. A modest mining camp was quickly established and just 12 months later, the camp had managed to grow into a small town, with houses fronting the channel.

Naming the Town

It was quickly decided that Richard Harris should become the namesake of the town, which was named as Harrisburg. However, this name was relatively short-lived in history and the town of Harrisburg soon became the town of Rockwell, being named after one Lieutenant Commander Charles Rockwell.

Again, the gold miners were not happy with the town's name and met in 1881 to discuss possible alternatives. They settled on the name of Juneau, after the other original prospector from Canada, Joseph Juneau, and this name finally stuck.

Biggest City and Capital

The early years of the 20th century is an important period in the history books of Alaska. In 1906, the capital of the territory, Sitka, saw a major downturn in its economy, following a decline in its significant fur trade and whaling industry. Sitka was greatly affected by this big drop in income and its importance soon waned.

At this time, Juneau was the obvious choice for a replacement center of government and a Capitol Building was soon commissioned, with distinctive Art Deco-style architecture reflecting the current trend in design. Building work was subsequently delayed following the outbreak of World War I. Construction of the Alaska State Capitol Building was finally completed in 1931, when it was officially called the Federal and Territorial Building.

Alaska became one of the United States of America in 1959 and over the following decades in Juneau history, many people have campaigned to move the state capital elsewhere. This has often involved major public voting and endless government meetings. The moves were never successful, mainly due to the considerable and unnecessary costs that would be involved.