page_title: St. Michael, Alaska
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: St. Michael, Alaska / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The steamer New Packet hired by Ed and Al Schieffelin at the wharf of St. Michael, Alaska, two hours before its departure for the Yukon River.
context_page_description: St. Michael, historically referred to as Saint Michael, is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska. The population was 401 at the 2010 census, up from 368 in 2000.
context_section_description: Redoubt St. Michael was founded in 1833 by traders of the Russian-American Company, as a trading post for trade with the Yup'ik people of the area. The trading settlement and the island were named after the archangel Michael.
  Fort St. Michael, a U.S. military post, was established in 1897. During the gold rush of 1897, it was a major gateway to the Alaskan interior via the Yukon River Delta (located about 40 miles (64 km) to the southwest). As many as 10,000 persons were said to live in St. Michael during the gold rush. St. Michael was also a popular trading post for Alaska Natives to trade their goods for Western supplies. Centralization of many Yup'iks from the surrounding villages intensified after the measles epidemic of 1900 and the influenza epidemic of 1918.
  St. Michael's population today is largely Yup'ik.  Many residents are also descendants of the Russian traders.
caption: The steamer New Racket hired by Al and Ed Schieffelin at the wharf of St. Michael, Alaska, in 1888 before its departure for the Yukon River.
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