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| Tel (907) 546-2334 Box 105 - St. Paul Island, Alaska 99660 | |
| St. Paul Island is home of the famous fur seal. It's also home to some
seven or eight hundred Aleut people placed here by the Russian fur sealer's in the 1800's,
to do their sealing (trapping) for them. Because of their Russian connection they are predominantly Russian Orthodox. They were originally brought here from the Aleutian Chain. |
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| When we came here over 30 years ago St. Paul's Island
was a tiny, rather backward, village of perhaps fifty houses and a store, plus the Russian
Orthodox Church. The town has developed tremendously since then and in the past six or
seven years a much needed harbor has been developed. Fishermen come from the states and
other parts of Alaska to fish during the Fall and Winter months for the great variety of
crab, halibut and other species. Canneries have been built along the harbor and in the Fall a huge five-story cannery barge locates here to process the catches and provide room and board for the seasonal cannery workers. |
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| Nowadays something is going on year-around. To
my left as I look out my window a hill that was once absent of houses - but for one being
built - is now entirely inhabited with many houses; almost a second village. There is a Coast Guard and Weather Bureau here now as well. Within a two-mile walk one can see the sea lions, fur seals, foxes, reindeer, bird cliffs, and lovely scenery. There are also (inactive) volcanoes nearby for hiking, climbing and exploring. |
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