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The History of Kenai and the Kenai Peninsula

Kenai is located on the western coast of the Kenai Peninsula, fronting Cook Inlet. It lies on the western boundary of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, on the Kenai Spur highway. It is approximately 65 air miles and 155 highway miles southwest of Anchorage via the Sterling highway. The community is located in the Kenai Recording District. The area encompasses 29 sq. miles of land and 5 sq. miles of water.

Prior to Russian settlement, Kenai was a Dena'ina Athabascan Indian village. Russian fur traders first arrived in 1741. At that time, about 1,000 Dena'ina lived in the village of Shk'ituk't, near the River. The traders called the people "Kenaitze," or "Kenai people." In 1791, a fortified Russian trading post, Fort St. Nicholas, was constructed for fur and fish trading. It was the second permanent Russian settlement in Alaska. Hostilities surfaced between the natives and settlers in 1797 when what is dubbed the battle of Kenai, an incident in which the Dena'ina attacked Fort St. Nicholas, resulting in over one hundred deaths from all involved parties. Later, in 1838, the introduction of smallpox killed one half of the Dena'ina population.

In 1888 a prospector named Alexander King discovered gold on the Kenai Peninsula. The amount of gold was small compared to the later gold finds in the Klondike, Nome and Fairbanks.

In 1894, the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church was built in the village. It is still in use today.
The establishment of shipping companies in the early 1900's broadened Kenai into a port city. Canning companies were established and helped fuel the commercial fishing boom that was the primary activity through the 1920's. In 1937, construction of the Kenai Airport began.

In 1940, homesteads were opened in the area. The first dirt road from Anchorage was constructed in 1951; pavement would not arrive until 1956 with the construction of the Kenai Spur highway.

A military base, Wildwood Airforce Station, was established in 1953 and served as a major communications post. Though now defunct, the building presently serves as the Wildwood Correctional Facility.
In 1957, oil was discovered at Swanson River, 20 miles northeast of Kenai. This was the first major oil discovery in Alaska. In 1965, offshore oil discoveries in Cook Inlet caused a period of rapid growth and a huge expansion of Anchorage

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The Kenai Refuge consists of the western slopes of the Kenai Mountains and forested lowlands bordering Cook Inlet. The lowlands are composed of spruce and birch forests intermingled with hundreds of lakes. The Kenai Mountains with their glaciers rise to more than 6,000 feet presenting a barrier on the southeastern boundary of the refuge. The refuge is a miniature Alaska, with some of all habitat types of Alaska-tundra, mountains, wetlands and forest.

Kenai Refuge was established by President Roosevelt to preserve and maintain the large population of moose on the Kenai Peninsula. In addition, the refuge is host to Dall sheep, mountain goat, caribou, coyote, wolf, grizzly bear, black bear, lynx, wolverine, beaver, small mammals and birds. Kenai Refuge provides undisturbed spawning for many Cook Inlet salmon.

Visitor Use

The refuge is accessible from the Sterling Highway. Travelers are treated to a panoramic view along the 110 mile drive from Anchorage to Kenai's mid-eastern boundary. Fishing is excellent. There are over 200 miles of established trails and routes including the Swanson River Canoe Trail. Visitors can fly to remote lakes, take horse pack trips into roadless areas or float a whitewater river. Developed facilities are available year round for day and overnight camping

Access

Scheduled air taxi and air charter. Road access is from Anchorage via the Seward/Sterling/Kenai Spur Highways.