© Brian Martin

" The History of Haines is rich and diverse; a tapestry of events that over time shaped and formed the community.  Since its establishment in 1881, Haines has grown, at times contracting and then expanding and above all, reflecting the many events that affected the town's life.  The establishment of the Presbyterian mission, discovery of gold at Porcupine in 1898, development of the salmon canneries, and construction of Fort William H. Seward in 1903 influenced the developing community. 

Tightly interwoven throughout this complex chain of events are individuals who formed the backbone and structure of Haines: Tlingit Natives, white explorers, Presbyterian missionaries, gold miners, adventurers, farmers, entrepreneurs, carpenters, laborers, merchants, soldiers, families, and dream-seekers, each interacting against the backdrop of history.  Many came in response to the excitement and promises generated by what appeared to be unlimited opportunities.  Others were born to the events.  All became inextricably a part of Haines' rich past."  excerpt from City of Haines: Survey of Historic Structures.

No one knows just when the earliest people came to live in the Chilkat Valley.  We do know that one group of Tlingit people, the Chilkats, were already well established long before the earliest recorded white men visited the area some two hundred years ago.  This powerful tribe of people fished, hunted, and preserved a variety of foods for themselves and for trading purposes.  They had a flourishing trade business with the Indian tribes east and north of the surrounding mountain ranges, as well as a highly developed social system.

For centuries, indigenous people had lived in small villages along the nearby Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers.  Traveling the deep valleys at the head of the fjord, Tlingit Indians living on the coast traded furs, salmon, and eulachon oil (rendered from smelt-like fish) for copper, moose hides, and other commodities obtained from Athabascan people of the interior.  Indeed, Haines' first "gold" was fish!

Shortly after the purchase of Alaska from the Russians (in 1867), the Chilkat Chiefs heard of missionaries and teachers in Sitka and Wrangell.  Not wanting to be outdone, they petitioned the Presbyterian Church for the same assistance.  The church replied that, while they could not send five missionaires (one to each native settlement in the area), if the chiefs could agree on one place for them to station a person to serve all five villages, a preacher and a teacher would be sent to them.

In 1879 the Chiefs sent a message that they had agreed upon a place, and Dr. Sheldon Jackson sent S. Hall Young and John Muir to meet with them.  Travelling in a sea-going "war" canoe with four Indian guides and paddlers, they met at Yendestakyeh, a meeting village near today's airport.  Dei-Shu ("End of the Trail"), a place which belonged to all the people, and had no permanent dwellings, had been chosen.

As there was to be a mission, a trader thought that there should also be a trading post, and in 1880, after he had set up across the trail from the mission area, the Presbyterian Church hired his wife, an Indian woman who had had some schooling, to begin teaching.  Her books never came and she didn't get very far teaching some 50 children with two books, but at least it was a start.

Francina E. Wilder, born in Paris, France on Valentine's Day 1819, was the first Protestant missionary to Athens, Greece. She married Richard Townly Haines, a director for the American Bible Society and founder of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. According to a 1937 letter by one of their 12 daughters, Frances Stoddard Haines, both Mr. and Mrs. Haines authored several religious works.

In 1881, a Presbyterian mission was established on the neck of the peninsula dividing the mouth of the Chilkat River from Lynn Canal. Upon the arrival of the Reverend Eugene and Caroline Willard, both school and church services of the Chilkat Mission were held in a shed. Sheldon Jackson from Sitka and head of the Presbyterian Missions throughout Southeast Alaska, personally borrowed money for a Chilkat Mission building. This was repaid through the efforts of the Presbyterian Church's Women's Executive Society of Home Missions, an organization which helped form new missionary sites in many states. Mrs. Haines was the secretary of the Society at this time, so the mission was renamed Haines Mission after her. Later, when the city was incorporated, it was also named Haines.

Francina E. Haines

Prospector Charles Cahoon noted that in January of 1898, Haines consisted of "the Presbyterian Mission building, a small store, and a few Indian huts on the beach." Pyramid Harbor Cannery was the largest cannery in the world at the time.  A post office opened there in May and operated until October of 1900.

In October three partners discovered gold in Porcupine Creek, a tributary of the Klehini River some 35 miles upstream from Pyramid Harbor.  After finding approximately $1,000 worth of gold in ten days, S.W. Mix, Ed Fenlay, and Perry Wiley staked claims and another rush was on.  Porcupine, which had been a n overnight stop along the Dalton Trail (whenever the conditions of the rivers and streams dictated that the trail should remain on that side of the Klehini River) soon became a thriving gold-mining community in its own right. By now, the stage had been set and the town of Haines began to grow.  The "northern frontier" had become accessible--though perhaps not ready--for settlement, business, and development.

The Army Fuel Pipeline and Tank Farm were built. The pipeline ran from the Haines Tank Farm through Canada to Fairbanks. It ceased operateion in 1972.

Nowhere else does the Alaska of your dreams come alive like it does in Haines! Here you’ll find a perfectly distilled sampling of Alaska’s history, scenic beauty, arts and culture, wildlife, and lifestyles.

This town of 2500 year-round residents, on the pristine shores of America’s longest fjord, is surrounded by glacier-covered mountains rising from the sea and numerous lakes and rivers teaming with fish and wildlife. Thousands of majestic bald eagles gather every fall in the welcoming embrace of the nearby Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
Renowned as an artist’s haven, Haines’ galleries and shops offer exceptional artwork in traditional native and contemporary styles.

Outdoor enthusiasts will find unlimited opportunities for recreation, from biking, hiking, and skiing to a variety of excursions on local rivers and lakes. Charter boats offer sight-seeing and sport-fishing for salmon and halibut.
For a day or a week, winter or summer, whatever your interest in Alaska, you’ll find it in Haines.

Established in 1902, built in 1903 and garrisoned in 1904, Fort William H. Seward was the first permanent army post in Alaska, serving as the only military post for some 20 years. At the close of WWII it was decommissioned and sold as army surplus to a group of veterans. It is currently a unique arts and culture district.

Just having celebrated its Centennial Year, the Fort is a reminder of a grand time in U.S. military history, a time when nothing was impossible.