Editing Dillingham, Alaska (section)

==Placenames==

Beginning in 1880, when census enumerators visited the present area of Dillingham at the northwest side of Nushagak Bay, they recorded only one village, that of Anagnak. Anagnak was apparently located on the Wood River near where it flows into Nushagak Bay, and it reported 87 Inuit residents.

In 1890, enumerators reported two separate villages: Bradford and Kanakanak. Bradford, located at Bradford Point, was a cannery which reported 166 residents: 83 Asians, 82 Whites and 1 Native. Approximately "1 kilometer south" was the other village of Kanakanak, which reported 53 residents, all native. The earlier village of Anagnak (also called Anugnak) did not report at all.

In 1900, only one community was reported: Kanakanak (erroneously spelled on the census as "Knankanak"). However, this village, which reported 145 residents (but no racial breakdown), was not the same Kanakanak reported on the 1890 census. This was apparently a "new" village that had taken over the site of the former Bradford (and the cannery itself was demolished shortly after 1900). The previous Kanakanak was called "Old Kanakanak." It was unknown if the "New" Kanakanak also included any residents from the old village.

In 1910, as with 1900, only one community was reported, and that was Kanakanak (this time correctly spelled), with 165 residents. However, again, this was apparently not the same locale in either the 1890 or 1900 censuses, but was located at Snag Point, about 3 miles north of the 1900 Kanakanak village. The alternative name reported was "Chogiung." It was here in 1904 that the Dillingham Post Office first opened. At this time, it featured three different names (Chogiung, Kanakanak and Dillingham). Because census enumerators did not attempt to place the locales and boundaries on a map, it contributed to the confusion, which would persist for at least 4 more censuses.

In 1920, the census reported two villages: Chogiung and Dillingham. Chogiung, with 182 residents, was apparently the renamed 1910 Kanakanak (3rd village), but also was known as the Dillingham Post Office as this was the village at Snag Point. Again, compounding the confusion was the first appearance of the village of Dillingham. But this was apparently not the village with the post office, but the location of the former cannery of Bradford from the 1890 census and the 1900 "New" Kanakanak, and featured just 36 residents. Because of the influenza pandemic preceding the 1920 census, it caused much upheaval and movement of native persons all over Alaska, with the survivors of decimated villages relocating to new locales.

In 1930, the census reported three separate villages: Dillingham, Kanakanak & Wood River. This Dillingham reported just 85 residents, and apparently was the renamed Chogiung/3rd Kanakanak village (however, it's possible that it may have been the same 1920 Dillingham owing to the number of residents, and that it was erroneously reported). The second village was Kanakanak, which reported 177 residents. This was apparently the former 1920 Dillingham and "New" Kanakanak (the 2nd village from 1900). As cited, it is entirely possible that Dillingham & Kanakanak were incorrectly reported under the others' names, and further research on individuals reported living in each would be required to solve this possible mystery. The third village cited on the 1930 census was Wood River (with 55 residents). This was apparently the locale of the 1880 Inuit village of Anagnak (Anugnak), which had not reported in 50 years.

In 1940, the census reported just two villages: Dillingham & Kanakanak. Dillingham now reported 278 residents, and the presumption was that it was the present village at Snag Point. Kanakanak (the "New" or 2nd village and former Dillingham) reported 113 residents. Neither figure was able to adequately resolve the question as to whether the 1930 population figures were accidentally attributed to the wrong community.

1950 would be the last time both villages, Dillingham & Kanakanak, would report. Dillingham would report 577 residents, while Kanakanak had declined to just 54 residents. In 1960 and in every successive census, Dillingham would be the sole community on the northwest Nushagak Bay to report on the census, and would formally incorporate as a city in 1963.

As for attempts to locate where the other census-reported villages (or remains of) are located at present, Anagnak (or Anugnak) (1880)/Wood Point (1930), is now within the present Dillingham city boundaries. Bradford (1890)/"New" Kanakanak (1900)/"1st" Dillingham (1920) (at Bradford Point) has since been annexed into the present Dillingham. The (3rd) Kanakanak (1910)/Chogiung (1920) is the present downtown of Dillingham. Only the original or "Old" Kanakanak apparently is outside the present city boundaries, just to the south of the Kanakanak Hospital.

Sources: 1880-1960 U.S. Censuses; Dictionary of Alaska Place Names by Donald J. Orth <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/bub_gb_0y48AQAAMAAJ|title=Dictionary of Alaska Place Names|date=December 6, 1967|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
Historic Settlement Patterns In The Nushagak River Region, Alaska by James W. Vanstone <ref>http://libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/oca/Books2008-07/historicsettleme61vans/historicsettleme61vans.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>