Kaltag, Alaska

Kaltag was a Koyokon Athabascan area used as a cemetery for surrounding villages. It is located on an old portage trail which led west through the mountains to Unalakleet. The Athabascans had seasonal camps in the area and moved as the wild game migrated. There were 12 summer fish camps located on the Yukon River between the Koyukuk River and the Nowitna River.

Kaltag was named by Russians for a Koyokon man named Kaltaga.

There was a smallpox epidemic in 1839 that killed a large part of the population of the area.

After the Alaska Purchase, a United States military telegraph line was constructed along the north side of the Yukon River. A trading post opened around 1880, just before the gold rush of 1884–85. Steamboats on the Yukon, which supplied gold prospectors ran before and after 1900 with 46 boats in operation on the river in the peak year of 1900. A measles epidemic and food shortages during 1900 reduced the population of the area by one-third. The village Kaltag was established after the epidemic when survivors from three nearby villages moved to the area.

There was a minor gold rush in the area in the 1880s. In 1906, gold seekers left for Fairbanks or Nome; however, the Galena lead mines began operating in 1919. Kaltag was downriver from the mines and grew as a point on the transportation route for the mines. It declined in the 1940s as mining declined.

The old cemetery caved into the river around 1937. An airport and clinic were constructed during the 1960s.

Kaltag has a week long Stick Dance (memorial Potlatch) every two years that draws visitors from many neighboring villages. This Potlatch is sponsored by relatives of the recently deceased, in appreciation of those who helped during their time of mourning.

Much of the economy around Kaltag is based on subsistence hunting and fishing. Salmon, whitefish, moose, bear, waterfowl and berries are elements of the subsistence economy.

Kaltag is located at {{Coord|64|19|31|N|158|43|37|W|type:city}} (64.325145, -158.727030){{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} and is on the west bank of the Yukon River, {{convert|120|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of Galena of {{convert|27.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|23.3|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|4.1|sqmi|km2}} of it (14.97%) is water.

The climate is transitional between the coast and interior.

{{Weather box

|location = Kaltag, Alaska (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1944–present)

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 58

|Feb record high F = 56

|Mar record high F = 56

|Apr record high F = 61

|May record high F = 85

|Jun record high F = 88

|Jul record high F = 95

|Aug record high F = 85

|Sep record high F = 89

|Oct record high F = 69

|Nov record high F = 53

|Dec record high F = 54

|year record high F = 95

|Jan avg record high F = 32.0

|Feb avg record high F = 36.8

|Mar avg record high F = 38.0

|Apr avg record high F = 51.7

|May avg record high F = 74.4

|Jun avg record high F = 80.5

|Jul avg record high F = 83.0

|Aug avg record high F = 75.4

|Sep avg record high F = 65.9

|Oct avg record high F = 49.9

|Nov avg record high F = 32.7

|Dec avg record high F = 30.1

|year avg record high F = 85.7

|Jan high F = 4.3

|Feb high F = 14.1

|Mar high F = 21.2

|Apr high F = 38.3

|May high F = 56.3

|Jun high F = 69.3

|Jul high F = 69.4

|Aug high F = 63.5

|Sep high F = 53.2

|Oct high F = 34.9

|Nov high F = 17.2

|Dec high F = 7.8

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = -4.0

|Feb mean F = 4.1

|Mar mean F = 9.7

|Apr mean F = 27.6

|May mean F = 45.1

|Jun mean F = 57.4

|Jul mean F = 59.3

|Aug mean F = 54.3

|Sep mean F = 44.5

|Oct mean F = 27.8

|Nov mean F = 9.4

|Dec mean F = 0.1

|year mean F = 27.9

|Jan low F = -12.3

|Feb low F = -6.0

|Mar low F = -1.9

|Apr low F = 16.9

|May low F = 33.9

|Jun low F = 45.5

|Jul low F = 49.3

|Aug low F = 45.0

|Sep low F = 35.7

|Oct low F = 20.7

|Nov low F = 1.6

|Dec low F = -7.7

|year low F = 18.4

|Jan avg record low F = -45.7

|Feb avg record low F = -36.0

|Mar avg record low F = -27.7

|Apr avg record low F = -10.0

|May avg record low F = 18.1

|Jun avg record low F = 32.6

|Jul avg record low F = 38.6

|Aug avg record low F = 31.0

|Sep avg record low F = 20.7

|Oct avg record low F = -1.1

|Nov avg record low F = -25.9

|Dec avg record low F = -38.1

|year avg record low F = −47.4

|Jan record low F = −60

|Feb record low F = −57

|Mar record low F = −46

|Apr record low F = −30

|May record low F = −11

|Jun record low F = 23

|Jul record low F = 29

|Aug record low F = 26

|Sep record low F = 8

|Oct record low F = −17

|Nov record low F = −43

|Dec record low F = −50

|year record low F = −60

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 1.02

|Feb precipitation inch = 1.29

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.45

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.39

|May precipitation inch = 1.02

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.65

|Jul precipitation inch = 2.24

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.38

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.17

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.78

|Nov precipitation inch = 1.43

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.72

|year precipitation inch = 21.54

|Jan snow inch =

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|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 6.7

|Feb precipitation days = 10.1

|Mar precipitation days = 8.7

|Apr precipitation days = 7.5

|May precipitation days = 9.1

|Jun precipitation days = 11.7

|Jul precipitation days = 14.1

|Aug precipitation days = 18.0

|Sep precipitation days = 14.6

|Oct precipitation days = 11.0

|Nov precipitation days = 7.5

|Dec precipitation days = 6.5

|year precipitation days = 125.5

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days =

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|source 1 = NOAA{{Cite web

|title=U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access - Station: KALTAG AP, AK

|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00026502&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|access-date=May 12, 2023 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512065755/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00026502&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|archive-date=May 12, 2023}}{{Cite web

|title=NOAA Online Weather Data - NWS Fairbanks

|url=https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=afg

|access-date=May 12, 2023

|publisher=National Weather Service}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 45

|1910= 141

|1920= 89

|1930= 137

|1940= 140

|1950= 121

|1960= 165

|1970= 206

|1980= 247

|1990= 240

|2000= 230

|2010= 190

|2020= 158

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

Kaltag first reported on the 1880 U.S. Census as an unincorporated Tinneh village. The census of 1890 combined Anvik and Kaltag under Anvik (with a combined population of 191).{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CRcwAAAAYAAJ&q=anvik&pg=RA2-PA164 |title = Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census, 1890|year = 1893|last1 = Census Office|first1 = United States}} It did not appear again on the census separately until 1910. It formally incorporated in 1969.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 230 people, 69 households, and 52 families residing in the village. The population density was {{convert|9.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 78 housing units at an average density of {{convert|3.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 12.61% White, 84.35% Native American, and 3.04% from two or more races.

There were 69 households, out of which 49.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.83.

In the village the age distribution of the population shows 37.0% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 132.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $29,167, and the median income for a family was $25,625. Males had a median income of $20,938 versus $48,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $9,361. About 29.8% of families and 33.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.7% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

The Yukon–Koyukuk School District operates the Kaltag School."[http://www.yksd.com/domain/36 Kaltag School, Kaltag]." Yukon–Koyukuk School District. Retrieved on June 16, 2016.

{{Reflist}}

{{Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska}}

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Category:Cities in Alaska

Category:Cities in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

Category:Yukon River