Check local
businesses

All

Additional Information pages for Prince of Wales Island

133° 56' W Longitude - 56° 58' N Latitude
Kake is located on the northwest coast of Kupreanof Island along Keku Strait, 38 air miles  northwest of Petersburg, and 95 air miles south of Juneau.

Climate:
Kake has a maritime climate characterized by cool summers and mild winters. They receive much less precipitation than is typical of Southeast Alaska, averaging 54 inches a year, with 44 inches of snow. Average summer temperatures range from 44 to 62 degrees Far. and from 26 to 43 degrees Far in winter.  Temperature extremes have been recorded from -14 to 88.

History:
The Kake tribe of the Tlingits were the most feared by white settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries.  They frightened Captain Vancouver during his voyages and sometimes "terrorized" trappers. In 1869, the Kakes killed two Sitka traders in revenge for the shooting of a Native by a Sitka sentry.  This act began the so-called "Kake War." During successive reprisals by the Navy vessel U.S.S. Saginaw, three Kake villages were destroyed. The Kakes did not rebuild for many years, but finally settled around 1890 at their present site. In 1891, a government school and store were built. A Society of Friends mission also was established. A post office was established in 1904. In 1912 the first cannery was built near Kake, and was purchased by the village in the late 1940s. In the late 1940s timber harvesting and processing began at a local sawmill.
Today, It is a Tlingit village with a fishing, logging and subsistence lifestyle. Traditional customs are important to the Kakes. The world's largest totem pole was commissioned by Kake and carved by Chilkats in 1967 for Alaska's centennial. The 132-foot totem pole now stands on a bluff overlooking town. Sale of alcohol is restricted to the City-owned package store. The largest employers are the City and School District. Fishing and seafood processing contribute considerably to the economy. The non-profit Gunnock Creek Hatchery has assisted in sustaining the salmon fishery. Logging and longshoring at the log sort yard and transfer facility at Point McCarny also provides periodic employment. Salmon, halibut, shellfish, deer, bear, waterfowl and berries are important food sources.  There is a accredited high school, junior high school, elementary school, various stores,  bed & breakfasts, a local inn and some churches.

Points of interest:
The Kake Dog Festival:
Held on late July, celebrates the Tlingit culture and return of the Dog Salmon (chum). Festivities include a canoe race called "the Challenge of the Chums", a chum run foot race and a dog salmon toss.

Visit the local Hatchery:
Guided tours are available to visit this facility.

Watch black bears:
You can enjoy the sight of black bear feeding on chum salmon in Gunnuk Creek, which flows through the center of the village.