Alaska 2007—Wrangell

Wrangell is a small town in Southeast Alaska with a population of about 2300 people (2000 census). Like other little towns in the Alaskan Panhandle, it has depended on fisheries and logging to sustain its economy. Historically, it has long served as the gateway to the mighty Stikine River, which meanders from interior British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean only a few miles from the town. Tlingit Native American culture is alive and well here, as demonstrated by the many totem poles found in the town.

 

Wrangell, Alaska

Downtown Wrangell dates from the late nineteenth century.

Old houseboat, Wrangell, Alaska

A humble houseboat rests in a slough behind the laundromat in Wrangell.

  

Chief Shakes House

Artwork on the Chief Shakes House on Chief Shakes Island peeks from shrubbery.

totem pole, Chief Shakes Island, Wrangell

A green and growing headdress sprouds from this mossy totem pole on Chief Shakes Island.

 

  
   

totem pole, Wrangell

And more Wrangell totem poles...

 

 

totem pole, Chief S

Totem poles were a highly developed art form among the Tlingits.

  

frog totem pole, Wrangell

These three frogs sprawl on a totem pole at Chief Shakes Island.

 

 

 

fireweed closeup

Fireweed closeup, Wrangell, Alaska.

  

orca totem pole, Wrangell

Orca totem, Chief Shakes Island, Wrangell.