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30-404: Unalaska Bay is the general name of the indentation making in to the north end of Unalaska Island between Cape Kalekhta and Cape Cheerful . Commercially, it was the most important bay in western Alaska in the beginning of the 20th century. Its shores are generally mountainous with precipitous sea faces. Amaknak Island lies in its southern end. Westward of the island the water is deep, but there

60-507: A kelp-marked reef which extends toward Spithead about 350 yards (320 m); eastward of the point shoal water makes out about 200 yards (180 m) with little kelp. The northern extremity of the reef is marked by a buoy painted white. From Rocky Point south, the shore of Amaknak Island should not be approached closer than 300 yards (270 m). Iliuliuk Reef consists of a ledge of rocks, portions of which are always exposed, extending in an east and west direction for 250 yards (230 m). From

90-428: A long, narrow sand spit extends to the southward l£ miles; its southern end, called Spithead, is marked by a beacon, about 15 feet high, standing close to its southern shore. Princess Head, 2 miles from Cape Kalekhta, is a large square-headed rock that projects from the shore far enough to be distinctly observed, even in thick weather, in following along the east shore. Constantine Bay, about 4 miles from Cape Kalekhta,

120-478: A point opposite the entrance to Dutch Harbor the east shore is lined with rocks, and should not be approached closer than 4 miles (6.4 km). The spit has a kelp-marked shoal on its east side which extends its whole length; at its middle point the shoal extends 4 miles (6.4 km) from shore. Spithead is bold-to, and may be safely approached as close as 150 yards (140 m). There is a beacon, about 15 feet high, standing close to its southern shore. Rocky Point has

150-590: Is a volcanic island in the Fox Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the US state of Alaska located at 53°38′N 167°00′W  /  53.633°N 167.000°W  / 53.633; -167.000 . The island has a land area of 1,051 square miles (2,720 km ). It measures 79.4 mi (127.8 km) long and 34.7 mi (55.8 km) wide. The city of Unalaska, Alaska , covers part of

180-513: Is a distinct ravine or break in the mountains, which extends through to the water to the southward. This is a useful guide for entering the bay and inner harbor. The portion south-southwestward of Amaknak Island is the long narrow inlet of Captains Bay. There is a narrow passage from it to Iliuliuk Harbor. On the western side of Unalaska Bay are Nateekin Bay, Broad Bay, and Eider Point Anchorage. When bound for Unalaska Bay from any part of Bering Sea, it

210-484: Is broken by three long deep bays, Beaver Inlet, Unalaska Bay , and Makushin Bay, as well as by numerous smaller bays and coves. Unalaska's terrain is rugged and covered with mountains, and during the greater part of the year, the higher elevations are covered with snow. The highest point on Unalaska is the active volcano Mount Makushin . Unalaska is the Aleut name for the island. Several theories about its origin exist;

240-408: Is free from dangers and has deep water close-to. A cascade, 125 feet high, south of Cape Cheerful, is a conspicuous mark from the vicinity of Cape Kalekhta, and is useful in thick weather when only the lower part of the land can be seen. Ulakhta Head, 900 feet high, the north end of Amaknak Island, is, in clear weather, one of the best landmarks for fixing the position of Unalaska Bay. In appearance it

270-428: Is like a pyramid with the top cut off. The top shows perfectly flat, and there is no other headland or mountain in this vicinity that has this feature. It is not as high as the background, but shows up well against it, and can be made out at a long distance from the bay. From its northwest point a reef extends off | mile, marked by Needle Rock, similar in appearance to Priest Rock, but not so large. From its northeast point

300-472: Is no good harbor in this part of the bay; eastward of the island are the important anchorages of Dutch Harbor , Iliuliuk Bay, and Iliuliuk Harbor. The channel to Iliuliuk Bay and Dutch Harbor is free from dangers except along the shores. Iliuliuk Harbor is obstructed at its entrance by ledges. Cape Cheerful, the western point at the entrance to Unalaska Bay, is made up of bold, very high headlands, rounded on top, and intersected by deep, grassy valleys. The shore

330-549: Is obstructed by numerous rocky ledges, many of which are only evident from the attached kelp. It is of no importance and should be avoided by all vessels. Summer Bay, the large, shallow bight, 3 miles from Constantine Bay and opposite Ulakhta Head, is shoal, and its shores are lined with kelp-marked rocks and ledges. At its southern headland is Pinnacle Rock, about 60 feet high. This bay is an excellent place to seine for salmon. The bay should be avoided by vessels. Iliuliuk Bay extends from Pinnacle Rock and Ulakhta Head to Iliuliuk. To

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360-522: Is recommended to shape the course for Cape Cheerful. In thick weather it is better to fall to the westward of Cape Cheerful and then round it than to fall to the eastward of it and get down among the passes. Makushin Volcano, 5,474 feet high, can generally be seen in clear weather, and is very prominent. An extinct crater, 2,314 feet high, back of Cape Cheerful and west of Eider Point, gives a distinct point for which to steer until close enough to distinguish

390-588: The Russian-American Company . In 1868, Sloss, Lewis Gerstle, and August Wassermann bought this company, although Hutchison, Kohl & Company was in simultaneous existence and under the same ownership until 1872, when the new company paid off the purchase. This new company, formed in 1868, was called the Alaska Commercial Company, and did business under this name until 1901. In that year, because of increasing competition in

420-488: The Russian American Company and forced to harvest seal fur. By 1840, only 200 to 400 Aleuts still lived on the island. In October 1778, English explorer James Cook visited the island for three weeks on his third voyage , and spelled it Oonalashka in his journal. The 1788 expedition of Esteban José Martínez and Gonzalo López de Haro explored the coast of Alaska as far as Unalaska Island, marking

450-468: The area. A pressure of 926 millibars was recorded at Dutch Harbor, which is the lowest non-tropical pressure ever recorded in the United States until December 31, 2020 when another system struck the islands with a pressure of 924.8 millibars. Alaska Commercial Company Alaska Commercial Company ( ACC ) is a grocery and retail company which operates stores in rural Alaska, beginning in

480-416: The cape from Makushin Volcano, and ends in a small, peak-like formation at the end of the cape. From the eastward the cascade south of Cape Cheerful is also useful. Strangers, when in the vicinity and uncertain of the identity of the bay and its landmarks, should endeavor to pick out Ulakhta Head. Looking into the bay, its flat top breaking off abruptly to sloping sides presents an appearance unlike any other in

510-586: The early period of Alaska's ownership by the United States into the present. From 1901 to 1992, it was known as the Northern Commercial Company ( NCC ), and in 1992 it resumed business as the Alaska Commercial Company under the ownership of The North West Company . After the 1867 purchase of Alaska by the United States, the firm of Hutchison, Kohl & Company, including Hayward Hutchison, William Kohl , and Louis Sloss , bought

540-595: The eastern dry rock a ledge, marked by kelp, extends south by east-southeast 150 yards (140 m). The southern extremity of this ledge is sometimes marked by a buoy. Tuscarora Rock, marked by kelp, lies about 50 yards (46 m) south-southeast by east. from the southern extremity of Iliuliuk Reef. It is small and generally marked by an iron barrel buoy. These buoys were maintained by the Alaska Commercial Company . Unalaska Island Unalaska ( Aleut : Nawan-Alaxsxa , Russian : Уналашка )

570-571: The farthest west the Spanish ever explored in the region. The Russian ship Rurik led by Otto von Kotzebue visited Unalaska twice, in 1815 and 1816. During the second visit, the French-German naturalist Adelbert von Chamisso collaborated with natives to create three-dimensional models of different whale species, in order to transfer and conserve indigenous knowledge about whales . He published drawings along with Aleut species names of

600-618: The island and all of neighboring Amaknak Island where the Port of Dutch Harbor is located. The population of the island excluding Amaknak as of the 2000 census was 1,759 residents. Unalaska is the second-largest island in the Fox Islands group and the Aleutian Islands. The coastline of Unalaska is markedly different in appearance than other major Aleutian Islands, with numerous inlets and peninsulas . The irregular coastline

630-520: The most likely is that the name derives from the Russian word Ounalashka , an adaptation of the Aleut word for near the mainland, nawan Alaskax . Native Unalaskans, called Unangan or Aleuts , to non-Unangan, have lived on the island for at least 10,000 years. The island was first seen by westerners in 1741 by Vitus Bering . By 1759, at least 3,000 Aleuts lived on Unalaska island. A Russian settlement

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660-415: The northward of Spithead there is a ridge extending across the bay, having a least depth of 10 fathoms. South of this ridge the depths increase to 16 and 19 fathoms. There is anchorage anywhere in the bay. The usual anchorage is at the head in 14 to 16 fathoms, muddy bottom, where, even with northerly winds, the force of the sea does not seem to reach home. At the head of Iliuliuk Bay, behind the village, there

690-630: The nucleus of small communities and communities often grew because of the stores. In 1922, the Northern Commercial Company was sold to a group of employees, who moved the headquarters to Seattle . It opened department stores , auto dealerships, and tire stores in Alaska's cities, and became a major supplier of heavy equipment and machinery in Alaska. By 1975 the Northern Commercial Company sold its department stores to Nordstrom . The Goodyear tire stores were sold to Bandag . In 1977

720-619: The old Alaska Commercial Company boats and set up a small successor to the Company in certain areas of Alaska. The Northern Commercial Company operated village stores in Alaska from 1868 to 1922, including during the Klondike Gold Rush (1897–1899). The stores often served as the village courthouse and post office as well. Much trade in the stores was bartered, as few people had cash. The stores accepted such items as gold, fish and furs in exchange for merchandise. The stores were often

750-575: The old name, the Alaska Commercial Company (ACC) was reintroduced to the stores and the remaining eleven rural stores were sold to the Community Enterprise Development Corporation (CEDC) of Alaska . In November 1992, the CEDC sold the stores in turn to The North West Company , a Canadian retailer mainly serving northern communities. ACC now has 33 stores in 30 remote Alaska Villages. Northern Commercial retained

780-569: The painted driftwood models, which are preserved in Berlin. In Moscow on May 31, 1988, President Ronald Reagan mentioned the meeting of Americans and Russians on this island in the 19th century as an example of early US-Russian friendship. On December 8, 2004, the Malaysian cargo ship Selendang Ayu ran aground off Unalaska Island, causing a large oil spill . On October 25, 1977, an extremely intense extratropical system struck

810-614: The sealskin trade, the Alaska Commercial Company merged with the International Mercantile Marine Company and Alaska Goldfields, Ltd., to form two new companies, the Northern Navigation Company and the Northern Commercial Company. The original owners of the Alaska Commercial Company, Louis Sloss , Gerstle, etc. carried on the business under the name of the Northern Commercial Company. Shortly afterwards, W.J. Erskine bought some of

840-487: The surrounding features. On getting close to the island, when the fog hangs over the land but leaves a clear space just along the water's edge, Wislow Island forms a good landmark. It is a very small, rounded island, regular in shape, and stands off far enough from the land to be distinctly seen as not a part of the main island. To the westward, under similar conditions, Makushin Cape can be seen at times. The land slopes gently to

870-440: The vicinity, and shows up well against the background of mountains. Navigators should avoid the kelp, which invariably indicates a rocky bottom. A large cluster of rocks, mostly awash, and usually marked by breakers, extends nearly 200 yards (180 m) to the westward of the south head of Constantine Bay. Pinnacle Rock is surrounded by reefs, awash and under water, for a distance of 300 yards (270 m). Between Pinnacle Rock and

900-521: Was constructed in 1759, but four years later it was destroyed by the Aleuts , together with four merchant ships. The attacks claimed the lives of 162 Russian settlers. The survivors managed to hold their own until 1764, when they were rescued by the Russians. This event triggered bloody reprisals against the natives which took the lives of about 5,000 Aleuts. By 1787, many Aleut seal hunters were enslaved by

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