Refuge History

Timeline
Historical Cabins
National Register Cabins
Protection of Archeological Sites

The cultural history of the Kenai Peninsula spans 10,000 years; there are five distinct cultural traditions and both Indian and Eskimo peoples have occupied the area.

The first people to inhabit the scenic lands of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge hunted the forest for the abundant fish and wild game. The remains of barabaras, shelters dug into the ground, have been found in many places.

Captain Vitus Bering, a Dane in Russian service, on board the St. Peter, first sighted the Kenai Peninsula on July 24, 1741. In May 1778, British sea explorer, Captain Cook landed at Point Possession on the northern boundary of the Refuge, and claimed the land for England. 

Russian fur trappers arrived later and established settlements on the Kenai Peninsula in 1786. By the mid-1800's demands for pelts of sea otter and other fur bearing animals had seriously depleted their populations.

American fishermen and their canneries replaced the fur trapper, but Russian traditions and culture are still evident in old building place names. The purchase of Alaska by the United States in 1867 gave rise to the salmon fishing industry.

Since the late 1890's, numerous Dall sheep, moose, and other wild game populations on the Kenai Peninsula attracted sportsmen and hunters from all over the world. In order to preserve and maintain the large herds for people to see and enjoy, President Roosevelt set aside 1,730,000 acres of land as the Kenai National Moose Range in 1941.

In 1980, the Alaska Natural Interest Lands Conservation Act changed the name and the purpose of the refuge to manage all species of animal species. The size of the refuge today has grown from the original 1,730,000 acres of land to the present 1.92 million acres.

Last updated: September 11, 2008