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Additional Information pages for Prince of Wales Island

135° 26' W Longitude - 58° 06' N Latitude
Hoonah is a Tlingit community located on the northeast shore of Chichagof Island, 40 air miles west of Juneau.

Climate:
Hoonah's maritime climate is characterized by cool summers and mild winters. Summer temperatures average 52 to 63degrees Far. and average 26 to 39 degrees Far. in winter.. Temperature extremes have been recorded from -25 to 87. Precipitation averages 54 inches annually, with 71 inches of snowfall.

History:
It is the principal village for the Huna, a Tlingit tribe which has occupied the Glacier Bay/Icy Strait area since prehistory. Local legend tells of an original ancestral home in Glacier Bay that was destroyed by a glacial advance. Hoonah means "village by the cliff." The Northwest Trading Co. built the first store in Hoonah in 1880. In 1881, the Presbyterian Home Mission and school was built. By 1887, 450 to 500 people were wintering in the village. A post office was established in 1901. In 1912, the Hoonah Packing Co. built a large cannery one mile north of town. The Thompson Fish Company still operates today as Hoonah Cold Storage. In 1944, a fire destroyed much of the City and many priceless Tlingit cultural objects. The federal government assisted in rebuilding the community.
Hoonah is the largest Tlingit village in Alaska. Fishing is a mainstay of the economy, and Hoonah experiences nearly full employment during the summer season. Fish processing, employment at the Storage plant, logging, and logging-related activities provide local employment. Subsistence activities are important component of the lifestyle. Salmon, halibut, shellfish, deer, waterfowl and berries are harvested. There are restaurants, grocery and hardware stores, several shop and stores, a bank, marine fuel docks, flying services and a gas pump.