Ivan Petrof (explorer)

Ivan Petrof was a special agent of the United States Tenth Census (1880) for Alaska. He traveled extensively in Alaska and then prepared the "Report on the Population, Industries, and Resources" of Alaska, which forms 189 pages of Volume VIII of the Tenth Census, published in 1884. This report and two general maps of Alaska were issued by the Census Office, one dated 1880 and the other 1882. Petrof was also the author of "Bancroft's History of Alaska".

A preliminary version of the report on the population, industries, and resources of Alaska was published early in 1881 as House of Representative Ex. Doc. No. 40, Forty-sixth Congress, third session. This report contains a general map of Alaska showing Petrof's travel route for his census work. He traveled through Kodiak, the Shumagin Islands, Sannak, Belkofski, Unalaska, Unimak, Atka, the Pribilof Islands, and St. Michael. He also journeyed for considerable distances up the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.

After 1880 he lived in Kodiak, Alaska and assisted others in their research on Alaska.

Petrof Bay on Kuiu Island in the Alaska Panhandle is named after Ivan Petrof.

Works

* "Journal of a Trip of Alaska", 1878
* Map of Alaska and Adjoining Regions, 1880
* Map of Alaska and Adjoining Regions, 1882
* "Report on the Population, Industries, and Resources of Alaska", in the Volume VIII of the Tenth Census, published in 1884