History of Castle Hill (-1804)

When the Kiksadi clan of the Tlingit Indians first migrated into this area from the south, they chose this promontory for the erection of their main houses. There were four of these community houses here when Baranof, governor of the Russian-American Company, first arrived in southeast waters in 1795. In deference to the Tlingits, Baranof selected a second-best site six miles north for the location of his post constructed in 1799. During August 1804, Russian forces gathered in nearby waters to re-establish the Russian colony destroyed two years earlier at Old Sitka. In September these forces augmented by the frigate "Neva" moved into Sitka sound. Bestilled winds required the "Neva" to be towed into battle position off this site by over 100 bidarkas.

Sitka, Alaska · United States