The
City and Borough of Juneau ( ) is a unified
municipality located on the Gastineau
Channel
in the panhandle
of the U.S. state of
Alaska
. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906,
when the government of the then-Alaska
Territory was moved from Sitka
. The
municipality unified in 1970 when the City of Juneau merged with
the City of Douglas and the surrounding
borough to form the current home
rule municipality.
The area
of Juneau is larger than that of Rhode Island
and Delaware
individually
and almost as large as the two states
combined. Downtown Juneau is nestled at the base of
Mount
Juneau
and across the channel from Douglas Island
. As of the
2000 census, the City and Borough
had a population of 30,711. The
U.S. Census
Bureau's 2008 population estimate for the City and Borough was
30,988.
Juneau was named after gold prospector
Joe Juneau, though the place was for
a time called Rockwell and then Harrisburg (after Juneau's
co-prospector, Richard Harris — several books credit the Tlingit
Chief Kowee with showing these prospectors where the gold was). The
Tlingit name of the town is
Dzántik'i Héeni "river where the flounders gather", and
Auke Bay just north of Juneau proper is called
Aak'w
"little lake" in Tlingit.
The Taku River
, just south of Juneau, was named after the cold
t'aakh wind, which occasionally blows down from the
mountains.
Downtown Juneau sits at sea level, with tides averaging , below
steep mountains about 3,500 to high.
Atop these mountains
is the Juneau
Icefield
, a large ice
mass from which about 30 glaciers flow; two of these, the Mendenhall
Glacier
and the Lemon Creek Glacier, are visible from the
local road system; the Mendenhall glacier has been generally
retreating; its front face is declining both in width and
height.
The
current Alaska State
Capitol
is an office building in downtown Juneau,
originally built as the Federal and Territorial Building in
1931. Originally housing federal government offices, the
federal courthouse, and a post office, it became the home of the
Alaska Legislature and the
offices for the
governor of
Alaska and
lieutenant governor of
Alaska. Through the years, there has been discussion on
relocating the seat of state government and building a new capitol,
without significant development.
History
Chief Anotklosh of the Taku tribe
taken in 1913.
Long
before European settlement in the Americas, the Gastineau
Channel was a favorite fishing ground for local Tlingit Indians, known then as the Auke and Taku
tribes, who had inhabited the surrounding area for thousands of
years. The native cultures are rich with artistic traditions
including carving, weaving, orating, singing and dancing, and
Juneau has become a major social center for the Tlingit,
Haida, and
Tsimshian of
Southeast Alaska.
In 1880,
Sitka mining
engineer George Pilz offered a reward to any local chief who could
lead him to gold-bearing ore. Chief Kowee arrived with some
ore and several prospectors were sent to investigate. On their
first trip, to
Gold Creek, they found deposits of little
interest. However, at Chief Kowee's urging Pilz sent
Joe Juneau and
Richard Harris back to the
Gastineau Channel, directing them to Snow Slide Gulch (the head of
Gold Creek) where they found nuggets "as large as peas and beans,"
in Harris' words.
On October 18, 1880, the two men marked a town site where soon a
mining camp appeared. Within a year, the camp became a small town,
the first to be founded after
Alaska's
purchase by the United States.
The town was originally called Harrisburg, after Richard Harris;
some time later, its name was changed to Rockwell. In 1881, the
miners met and renamed the town Juneau, after
Joe Juneau.
In 1906, after the
diminution of the whaling and fur trade, Sitka, the
original capital of Alaska, declined in importance and the seat of
government was moved to Juneau. Juneau was the
largest city in Alaska during the inter-war years, passing Fairbanks
in the 1920
census and displaced by Anchorage
in 1950.
In 1954, Alaskans passed a measure to move the capital north.
Robert Atwood, then publisher of the Anchorage Times and an
Anchorage 'booster,' was an early leader in capital move
efforts—efforts which many in Juneau and Fairbanks resisted. One
provision required the new capital to be at least from Anchorage
and Fairbanks, to prevent either city from having undue influence;
in the end Juneau remained the capital.
In the 1970s, voters passed a plan to move the capital to
Willow
, a town
north of Anchorage. But pro-Juneau people there and in
Fairbanks got voters to also approve a measure (the FRANK
Initiative) requiring voter approval of all bondable construction
costs before building could begin. Alaskans later voted against
spending the estimated $900 million. A 1984 "ultimate" capital-move
vote also failed, as did a 1996 vote.
Alaskans thus several times voted on moving their capital, but
Juneau remains the capital.Once Alaska was granted
statehood in 1959, Juneau grew with the growth of
state government.
Growth accelerated remarkably after the
construction of the Alaska Pipeline
in 1977, the state budget being flush with oil
revenues; Juneau expanded for a time due to growth in state
government jobs, but that growth slowed considerably in the
1980s. The state demographer expects the borough to grow
very slowly over the next twenty years. Cruise ship tourism
rocketed upward from about 230,000 passengers in 1990 to nearly
1,000,000 in 2006 as cruise lines built more and larger ships—even
'mega-ships', sailing to Juneau seven days a week instead of six,
over a longer season, but this primarily summer industry provides
few year-round jobs. Its population rank in
2000 was second in the state,
closely ahead of Fairbanks; recent estimates have Juneau falling
back to third, as it was in the
1960-
90 counts.
Juneau is larger in area than the state of Delaware and was, for
many years, the country's largest city by area.
Juneau continues to
be the only U.S. state capital located on an international border:
it is bordered on the east by Canada
.
It is the
U.S. state capital whose namesake was most recently alive: Joe Juneau died in 1899, a year
after Otto von Bismarck (North
Dakota
).
Geography and climate
Mendenhall Glacier, 2009
According
to the United States Census
Bureau, the borough has a total area of , making it the
second-largest municipality in the United States
by area (the largest is Sitka, Alaska). of it is land and of it (16.54%) is
water.
Adjacent boroughs and census areas
Border area
Juneau,
Alaska, shares its eastern border with the Canadian province of British
Columbia
. It is the only U.S. state capital to border
another country. Carson City, Nevada and Trenton, New Jersey are
the only state capitals which border another state.
Central (downtown) Juneau is located at .
According to the
Köppen
Classification, Juneau has a humid continental climate despite
its coastal location, though it is influenced by the Pacific Ocean
. Average annual rainfall ranges from to over
depending on location; annual average snowfall at Juneau
International Airport
is . The average high temperature in July is
, and the average low temperature in January is .
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 30,700
people, 11,500 households, and 7,600 families residing in the
city/borough. The population density was 11.3/square mile
(4.4/km²). There were 12,300 housing units at an average density of
4.5/sq mi (1.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city/borough was
74.79%
White, 0.81%
African
American, 11.38%
Native
American, 4.68%
Asian, 0.38%
Pacific
Islander, and 1.05% from
other races,
and 6.91% from two or more races. 3.39% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any
race. 15.1% reported speaking
Tlingit at home, 5.07%
Inupiag, 2.61%
Tagalog, and 2.38%
Spanish.
There were 11,543 households out of which 36.7% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were
married couples living together, 10.5% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families.
24.4% 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 2.60 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city/borough the population was spread out with 27.4% under
the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from
45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median
age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2
males.
The median income for a household in the city/borough was $62,034,
and the median income for a family was $70,284. Males had a median
income of $46,744 versus $33,168 for females. The
per capita income for the city/borough was
$26,719. 6.0% of the population and 3.7% of families were below the
poverty line, including 6.7% of those
under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older.
Economy
As the capital of Alaska, the primary employer in Juneau, by a
large margin, is government. This includes the federal government,
state government, municipal government (which does include the
local airport, the local hospital, harbors, and the school
district), and the University of Alaska Southeast. State government
offices and their indirect economic impact compose approximately
one-quarter of Juneau's economy.
A salmon-themed stained glass window
in the Juneau Public Library illustrates some of the city's
heritage.
Another large contibutor to the local economy, at least on a
part-time basis, is the tourism industry. In 2005, the
cruise ship industry was estimated to bring
nearly one million visitors to Juneau for up to 11 hours at a time,
between the months of May and September.
The fishing industry used to be a major part of the Juneau economy.
Until recently, Juneau was the 49th most lucrative U.S. fisheries
port by volume and 45th by value taking in 15 million pounds of
fish and shellfish valued at 21.5 million dollars in 2004 according
to the
National Marine
Fisheries Service. Tree-trunk exporting also has a fondly
remembered place in Juneau's economic history.
Real estate agencies, federally-funded highway construction, and
mining are apparently still viable non-government local industries.
Local mines include Greens Creek, owned by Hecla Mining Company
(Greens Creek Mine was a 70% Kennecott & 30% Hecla Joint
Venture until Spring of 2008 when Hecla purchased the 70% Kennecott
owned for approximately $750 Million) and (soon) the Kensington
Gold Mine, owned by Couer Alaska.
Juneau's only power utility is
Alaska Electric Light &
Power (AEL&P). Most of the electricity in the borough is
generated at the Snettisham Hydroelectric facility in the southern
end of the borough, accessible only by boat or plane. In April
2008, an avalanche destroyed three transmission towers, forcing
AEL&P to generate almost all of the borough's electricity with
diesel-powered generators. A second hydroelectric generating
facility, the Lake Dorothy Project, is scheduled to be online in
2009.
Arts and entertainment
Juneau is home to
Perseverance
Theatre, Alaska's only professional theater. The area hosts the
annual
Alaska Folk Festival and
Juneau Jazz & Classics music festivals, and the
Juneau Symphony performs regularly. Downtown
Juneau boasts dozens of art galleries, which participate in the
monthly First Friday Gallery Walk and the enormously popular
December Gallery Walk held in the first week of December. The
Juneau Arts &
Humanities Council coordinates events while fund-raising,
distributing some grant money, and operating a gallery at its
office in the Juneau Arts & Culture Center, 350 Whittier
Street. On summer Friday evenings open-air music and dance
performances are held at Marine Park. The University of Alaska
Southeast Campus also offers lectures, concerts, and theater
performances.
The
Juneau
Lyric Opera and
Opera to Go are the two local opera companies. JLO
produces operas in English and Italian and sponsors two annual
choral workshop festivals, as well as the touring group the "3
Tenors from Juneau."
Some Juneau artists include violinists
Linda and
Paul
Rosenthal, soprano Kathleen Wayne, bass John d'Armand,
baritones Philippe Damerval and David Miller, tenors Jay Query,
Brett Crawford and Dan Wayne, Rory Merritt Stitt, pianist Mary
Watson, folk musician Buddy Tabor, playwright
Robert Bruce "Bo"
Anderson, and painters
Rie Muñoz, David Woodie, Barbara Craver,
Rob Roys,
Elise
Tomlinson, and Herb Bonnet. Photographer Ron Klein is a past
president of the International Association of Panoramic
Photographers.
Government
Juneau City Hall.
Two districts have been defined by the
Assembly of
the City and Borough of Juneau:
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Juneau is served by the
Juneau
School District and includes the following schools:
- Gastineau Elementary School
- Harborview Elementary School
- Riverbend Elementary School
- Mendenhall River Elementary School
- Glacier Valley Elementary School
- Auke Bay Elementary School
- Juneau Community Charter School
- Montessori Borealis School
|
|
In addition, the following private schools also serve Juneau:
- (Glacier) Valley Baptist Academy
- Faith Community School
- Thunder Mountain Learning Center (Formerly Thunder Mountain
Academy)
- Juneau Seventh-day Adventist Christian School
- Juneau Montessori School
Colleges and universities
Juneau is the home of the following institutes of higher education:
Transportation
Sea
Juneau is accessible only via sea or air. Cars and trucks are
transported to and from Juneau by barge or
ferry. The State-owned ferry is called
the
Alaska Marine Highway
System (AMHS). Juneau is one of only five state capitals not
served by an
interstate highway.
Dover,
Delaware
; Jefferson
City, Missouri
; Carson City, Nevada
; and Pierre, South Dakota
, are the other four state capitals with this
distinction.Approximately one million passengers arrive each
summer on
cruise ships. Juneau has fewer
than of paved road . There are more vehicles in the city than there
are people , as many citizens also own light planes, float planes,
and boats. Local government operates a bus service under the name
Capital Transit. There are also several taxicab companies, as well
as tour buses, which are mainly used for cruise ship
visitors.
Air
The only
airport in Juneau is Juneau International Airport. Alaska
Airlines is as of 2009 the sole commercial jet passenger
operator.
MarkAir and
Western Airlines and its successor,
Delta previously served Juneau.
Alaska
Airlines provides service to Anchorage
and Fairbanks
as well as to many small communities in the
state. Seattle
is a common destination for Juneau
residents.
Some air carriers provide
U.S. mail service. Residents
walk, hike, or ride bicycles recreationally. A study has been
conducted to make Juneau a more walkable area. Trucks, SUVs,
motorcycles, and all terrain vehicles are popular.
Roads
Avalanche hazards, steep slopes, cold
weather and environmental protection concerns are factors that make
road construction and maintenance difficult and costly.
Mendenhall Glacier
A very
popular destination is Mendenhall Glacier. A bridge connects Douglas Island with the rest of Juneau, and there are about five
places where roads end. Float planes and helicopters offer
glacier tours in summer. Dog sled rides are often given to tourists
landing on the glaciers or ice caps. Other companies offer boat
rides.
One of the signature places in Juneau is The
Mount Roberts Tramway, an
aerial tramway stretching from a station on the cruise ship docks
to a point on the southwestern ridge of Mount
Roberts
.
Juneau Access Project
Juneau's roads remain separate from other roads in Alaska and in
the Lower 48. Currently, fast car ferries connect Juneau with
Haines and Skagway.
There are plans to connect Juneau to
Haines
and
Skagway
by road, but the State of Alaska Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities announced in 2005 that the
connection was to be provided partly by road, and partly by fast
ferry. A 51-mile road would be built on east side of Lynn
Canal to a new ferry terminal at the Katzehin River estuary. A
ferry would take cars from the terminal to Haines and Skagway,
where the cars could then drive over 300 miles to Anchorage. In
2006, the project was estimated to cost $258 million, and in 2007,
the estimate was increased to $350 million. The Western Federal
Lands Center estimates the project will cost $491 million. As of
2009, $25 million has been spent on the project.
Local opinions on constructing a road link to the outside world are
mixed. Some see such a road as a much-needed link between Juneau
and the rest of Alaska. Others are concerned about environmental,
social, and economic impacts.
Media
Print
Juneau's
only daily newspaper, the Juneau Empire
, is published Sunday through Friday, no
Saturday edition. There is also a regional weekly newspaper,
the
Capital City
Weekly. Juneau-Douglas High School has
The Ego and the
Alterego, a monthly magazine, and the University of Alaska
Southeast has
The Whalesong, a college newspaper.
Radio
AM
Stations: KJNO
630 and
KINY 800.
FM
Stations: KTKU 105.1 , KSUP
106.3, and the freeform LPFM station KBJZ-LP
94.1. Recently expanded public radio station
KTOO
104.3,
KXLL "Excellent Radio" 100.7 and KRNN "Rain Country Radio" 102.7 (both operated by
KTOO).
Additionally the offices of
CoastAlaska,
a regional public radio station consortium, are located in Juneau.
AP (the Associated Press), Anchorage news outlets, and other Alaska
media entities send reporters to Juneau during the annual
Legislative session.
Television
Juneau's
major television affiliates are KTOO
(PBS), KATH-LP (NBC), KJUD
(ABC)/The
CW on DT2 and KXLJ-LP
(CBS). Fox
and
MyNetworkTV
are only available on cable via their Anchorage
affiliates . The Juneau-Douglas High School also has a
program with KTOO airing one hour a week during the school year
produced entirely by students with the help of Ryan Conarro, "the
DL (Down Low)"
Sister Cities
Juneau has 5 official
sister cities.
See also
Notes
References
External links
- northwest, west
- south, southwest
(part)
(part)
, Philippines
, Yukon
, Canada
, Taiwan
, Republic of
China
, Russia
, Heilongjiang Province
, People's Republic of China
, a region of Juneau
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