Editing St. Michael, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = St. Michael
|native_name              = <small>{{native name|esu|Taciq}}<br>{{native name|ik|Tasiq}}<br>{{native name|ru|Сент-Майкл}}</small>
|settlement_type          = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = <!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map  = USA Alaska
|pushpin_map_caption  = Location in Alaska

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alaska]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Census Area]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Nome Census Area, Alaska|Nome]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Alice Fitka<ref>{{Cite book|title=2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Municipal League|year=2015|page=136}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = [[Donny Olson|Donald Olson]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
|leader_title2            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
|leader_name2             = [[Neal Foster]] (D)
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = July 15, 1969<ref>{{cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=[[Juneau]]|publisher=Alaska Municipal League/[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]]|date=January 1996|page=130}}</ref>

<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 72.69
|area_land_km2            = 56.33
|area_water_km2           = 16.36
|area_total_sq_mi         = 28.06
|area_land_sq_mi          = 21.75
|area_water_sq_mi         = 6.32

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 456
|population_density_km2   = 8.10
|population_density_sq_mi = 20.97
|timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
|utc_offset               = -9
|timezone_DST             = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -8
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 8
|elevation_ft             = 26
|coordinates              = {{coord|63|28|16|N|162|3|11|W|region:US-AK|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 99659
|area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 02-66360
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1408977}}  
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
}}
'''St. Michael''' ({{langx|esu|Taciq}}, {{langx|ik|Tasiq; Taziq}}, {{langx|ru|Сент-Майкл}}), historically referred to as '''Saint Michael''',  is a city in [[Nome Census Area, Alaska]].  The population was 401 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]],<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> up from 368 in 2000.

==Geography==
St. Michael is located at {{coord|63.478526|-162.037123|type:city_region:US|format=dms|display=inline}}<ref name="GR1" /> on the east side of [[St. Michael Island, Alaska|St. Michael Island]] at the southeastern end of the [[Norton Sound]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|28.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|21.8|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|6.3|sqmi|km2}} of it (22.40%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 109
|1890= 101
|1900= 857
|1910= 415
|1920= 371
|1930= 147
|1940= 142
|1950= 157
|1960= 205
|1970= 207
|1980= 239
|1990= 295
|2000= 368
|2010= 401
|2020= 456
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
Saint Michael first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit villages of "Saint Michael and Tachik."<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rr9RAQAAMAAJ&q=st.+michael&pg=PA49 |title = Geological Survey Professional Paper|year = 1949}}</ref> Of the 109 residents, 100 were Inuit, 5 were Creole (Mixed Russian and Native) and 4 were White.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics of the Population of Alaska |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v1-17.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1880}}</ref> It returned in 1890 as Saint Michael (though it also included the native village of Tachik and a camp of miners).<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CRcwAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Annovokhamiut%22&pg=RA2-PA164 |title = Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census, 1890|year = 1893|last1 = Census Office|first1 = United States}}</ref> Of the 101 residents, 38 were natives, 33 were Creole and 30 were White. Saint Michael has continued to report in every successive census to date. It formally incorporated in 1969.

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 368 people, 90 households, and 65 families residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|16.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 93 housing units at an average density of {{convert|4.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 6.79% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 92.66% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], and 0.54% from two or more races.  0.27% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

Of the 90 households, 54.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 4.09 and the average family size was 4.79.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 43.8% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 3.0% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,036, and the median income for a family was $34,000. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $16,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $10,692.  About 24.2% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 41.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
St. Michael is served by the [[Bering Strait School District]]. Anthony A. Andrews School serves grades Pre-K through 12 grades.

==History==
[[Image:New-racket-steamer.jpg|thumb|The steamer ''New Racket'' hired by Al and [[Ed Schieffelin]] at the wharf of St. Michael, Alaska, in 1888 before its departure for the Yukon River.]]
[[St. Michael Redoubt Site|Redoubt St. Michael]] was founded in 1833 by traders of the [[Russian-American Company]], as a trading post for trade with the [[Yup'ik]] people of the area. The trading settlement and the island were named after the archangel [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]].

[[Fort St. Michael]], a U.S. military post, was established in 1897. During the [[Klondike Gold Rush|gold rush of 1897]], it was a major gateway to the Alaskan interior via the [[Yukon River]] Delta (located about {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=}} to the southwest). As many as 10,000 persons were said to live in St. Michael during the gold rush. St. Michael was also a popular trading post for Alaska Natives to trade their goods for Western supplies. Centralization of many Yup'iks from the surrounding villages intensified after the measles epidemic of 1900 and the influenza epidemic of 1918.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090304043242/http://www.kawerak.org/tribalHomePages/stMichael/index.html HISTORY  ] retrieved December 14, 2012</ref>

St. Michael's population today is largely Yup'ik.  Many residents are also descendants of the Russian traders.

==Economy==
The St. Michael economy is based on subsistence food harvests (hunting, fishing and gardening) supplemented by part-time wage earning.  Most wage-earning positions are in city government, the IRA council and village corporation, schools and local stores.  Some residents hold commercial fishing permits, primarily for the herring fishery.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|position=left}}

{{Nome Census Area, Alaska}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Michael, Alaska}}
[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Nome Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1833]]
[[Category:1833 establishments in the Russian Empire]]