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Welcome to the Genealogy Trails website for Juneau Borough, Alaska
Our goal is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data and
placing it online for the free use of all researchers. This is a continuation of our original Illinois Trails History and Genealogy Project
and we are excited about this opportunity to expand into other states.
We welcome your feedback and comments, and of course, your data contributions. If you have transcribed data that
you would like to have posted on this website, please send it to us.
If you would like to be kept informed of our state and county website updates, subscribe to our mailing lists
This Site is Available for Adoption!
We are looking for a coordinator for this site.... folks who share our dedication to putting data online and are
interested in helping this project be as helpful and useful to researchers as it can be. If you are interested
in joining our group as host of this site, view our Volunteer Page for further information
and contact
Kim.
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Location and Climate
Located on the mainland of Southeast Alaska, opposite Douglas Island, Juneau was built at the heart of the Inside
Passage along the Gastineau Channel. It lies 900 air miles northwest of Seattle and 577 air miles southeast of
Anchorage. The community lies at approximately 58.301940° North Latitude and -134.419720° (West) Longitude.
(Sec. 23, T041S, R067E, Copper River Meridian.) Juneau is located in the Juneau Recording District.
The area encompasses 2,716.7 sq. miles of land and 538.3 sq. miles of water. The area of Juneau is larger than
that of Rhode Island or Delaware and almost as large as the two states combined. Juneau has a mild, maritime climate.
Average summer temperatures range from 44 to 65; winter temperatures range from 25 to 35. It is in the mildest
climate zone in Alaska. Annual precipitation is 92 inches in downtown Juneau, and 54 inches ten miles north at
the airport. Snowfall averages 101 inches.
History, Culture and Demographics
The area was a fish camp for the indigenous Tlingit Indians. In 1880, nearly 20 years before the gold rushes to
the Klondike and Nome, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris were lead to Gold Creek by Chief Kowee of the Auk Tribe. They
found mother lode deposits upstream, staked their mining claims, and developed a 160 acre incorporated city they
called Harrisburg, which brought many prospectors to the area. The City of Juneau was formed in 1900. The state
capital was transferred from Sitka to Juneau in 1906 while Alaska was a U.S. Territory. The Treadwell and Ready
Bullion mines across the channel on Douglas Island became world-scale mines, operating from 1882 to 1917. In 1916,
the Alaska-Juneau gold mine was built on the mainland, and became the largest operation of its kind in the world.
In 1917, a cave-in and flood closed the Treadwell mine on Douglas. It produced $66 million in gold in its 35 years
of operation.
Fishing, canneries, transportation and trading services, and a sawmill contributed to Juneau's growth through the
early 1900s. The A-J Mine closed in 1944, after producing over $80 million in gold. In 1970, the City of Juneau
and City of Douglas were unified into the City & Borough of Juneau.
A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes
of Alaska; Douglas Indian Association; Aukquan Traditional Council (not recognized). The population of the community
consists of 16.6% Alaska Native or part Native.
As the state capital, Juneau is supported largely by State and Federal employment, and by tourists cruising the
Inside Passage. It is the third largest community in Alaska. About one-third of residents live downtown or on Douglas
Island; the remaining two-thirds live elsewhere along the roaded area. Juneau has a Tlingit history with a strong
historical influence from the early prospectors and boom town that grew around full-scale gold mining operations.
Economy and Transportation
The State, City & Borough of Juneau, and federal agencies provide nearly 45% of the employment in the community.
Juneau is home to State Legislators and their staff during the legislative session between January and May. Tourism
is a significant contributor to the private sector economy during the summer months, providing a $130 million income
and nearly 2,000 jobs. Over 690,000 visitors arrive by cruise ship, and another 100,000 independent travelers visit
Juneau each year. The Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Icefield air tours, Tracy Arm Fjord Glacier, State Museum, and
Mount Roberts Tramway are local attractions. Support services for logging and fish processing contribute to the
Juneau economy, and 519 residents hold commercial fishing permits. DIPAC, a private non-profit organization, operates
a fish hatchery which increases the local salmon population. The Kennecott Green's Creek Mine produces gold, silver,
lead and zinc, and is the largest silver mine in North America.
Juneau is accessible only by air and sea. Scheduled jet flights and air taxis are available at the Municipally-owned
Juneau International Airport.
[source: wikipedia.org]
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