Chronicle of the Politkofsky 26 
 Chapter 6: A Russian Gunboat 
 In 1862, construction of a new steam tugboat began in New Archangel. The ship was 
 built of Alaska yellow cedar. This wood was chosen because it was a local tree that was 
 very strong, durable, and resisted decay. The ship’s boiler and the spikes that held the 
 planking to the hull were said to be made of copper that was mined locally. The copper 
 boiler was ½- ¾ in. thick and the copper spikes were pounded by hand to secure the 
 planks. This vessel was named the Politkofsky. She was named after the Russian- 
 American-Company chairman, Vladimir Gavrilovich Politkofskiy, who was married to 
 Aleksandra Shelikhov, Grigorii Shelikhov’s daughter. V.G. Politkofskiy became 
 chairman of the Russian American Company in 1848 after spending four years as a 
 member on the board of directors and became a military general in 1850. V.G. 
 Politkofskiy was chairman of the Russian-American Company for the next 15 years 
 (Marine Digest 1986, By Capt. Kevin Hekrdle). 
 The Politkofsky was a sidewheel paddle steamer, 125.5 ft. long, 21.3 ft. wide, 8.9 ft. deep 
 and weighing 152 tons. She was built to take the place of the ship Imperator Nikolai I. 
 The engine was salvaged from the Nikolai and put into the Politkofsky. The “Polly,” as 
 she was later called, used a crosshead steam engine until 1896, making it the oldest 
 running steam engine and the last of its kind on the West Coast. Her old fashioned steam 
 engine only produced 15-30 lbs. of steam pressure, while more modern steam engines 
 produced 200 lbs or more. Although the engine was outdated and slow, the Politkofsky 
 was so successful in towing and hauling, that she competed well with “modern” ships. 
 Fig. 6.1: The Politkofsky 
 It was once believed that the Politkofsky was built as a “gunboat” for precaution against 
 the unruly Natives, against illegal trading between the Hudson’s Bay Co. and the French, 
 and against the British fleet threatening New Archangel. But further evidence proves that 
 Chronicle of the Politkofsky 27 
 although there were guns on board, she was mainly a working boat, used as a tug, towing 
 and trading vessel. Or was she? 
 In October 1865, the Politkofsky was placed into service. She was not fast or fit for the 
 open sea so she was stationed in the port of New Archangel. The steamer visited many 
 Native villages on trading expeditions, transported barges and rafts filled with wood and 
 coal, and towed sailing ships into the harbor of New Archangel and out to sea. She was a 
 popular and usual sight to see among the local waters and was used faithfully until her 
 boiler sustained extensive damage after towing the ship Kamchatka out to sea in 
 November 1866. She was then docked and another boiler was ordered from Victoria, BC 
 for delivery by the fall of 1867. 
 But something more important was about to take place and efforts to repair her were 
 postponed. 
 Chapter 7: The Transfer of Russian America to the U.S. 
 The sole purpose of the Russians coming to the new territory and establishing permanent 
 settlements was because of the fur trade. Fur trading was a great resource for quick and 
 large sums of money and Russia had a market for furs in China. Fur-bearing animals, 
 such as the sea otter, were plentiful when the Russians arrived in Alaska and for many 
 years they hunted and killed these animals only for their fur. Soon the animals could not 
 reproduce fast enough and the animals became scarce. It didn’t help that the Hudson’s 
 Bay Company competed in the fur market. 
 Russians in Russian America never numbered more than four hundred at any given time 
 (Chevigny, 1965). Russian America was a fur producing colony and the Russian 
 government never wanted to over commit valuable resources to its development. 
 The Russians gradually lost control in America. Profits from the furs were declining and 
 the cost of maintaining the posts in Alaska was too high. Also, Russia became more 
 interested in developing territories north of China, as they would be easier to develop and 
 maintain because they were on the same continent. Eventually, the Russian government 
 became open to the idea of selling Russian America. 
 Although the Hudson’s Bay Company was a strong candidate for taking over the New 
 Land, the Russians were firmly opposed to Great Britain, their adversary in the Crimean 
 War. Meanwhile, hearing of the possibility that Russia might sell, and wanting to extend 
 U.S. borders further to the West, United States Secretary of State, William Seward 
 swiftly negotiated a deal with Russian Minister, Edouard de Stoeckl for an original $5 
 million sale. It was finally negotiated and agreed upon by