Kayak Island

Infobox_nrhp | name =Bering Expedition Landing Site
nrhp_type = nhl


caption =
location= Katalla, Alaska
lat_degrees = 59
lat_minutes = 53
lat_seconds = 40
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 144
long_minutes = 29
long_seconds = 8
long_direction = W
locmapin = Alaska
area =
built =1741
architect= Unknown
architecture= No Style Listed
designated= June 02, 1978cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1738&ResourceType=Site
title=Bering Expedition Landing Site |accessdate=2007-11-19|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = July 20, 1977cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = FOREST SERVICE
refnum=77001542

Kayak Island (coord|59|56|03|N|144|22|06|W|), which includes the Bering Expedition Landing Site, is located in the Gulf of Alaska, 100 km (62 mi) SE of Cordova, Alaska Malaspina Coastal Plain. It has a land area of 73.695 km² (28.454 sq mi) and no population.

It was named "Kayak" in 1826 by Lt. Sarichef of the Russian Navy, because of the fancied resemblance of its outline to the Eskimo skin canoe. This island, it is believed, was the one Vitus Bering saw and named "Saint Elias" in 1741.

According to the U.S. National Park Service, "Here naturalist Georg W. Steller, surgeon aboard Vitus Bering's ST. PETER, made the first attempts at contact between Europeans and Alaskan natives. His investigations are among the first contributions to the West's knowledge of the natural and human history of the region."

Captain James Cook visited the island on May 12, 1778, and buried a bottle with a paper and two small pieces of silver given to him by Dr. Kaye, the chaplain of King George III, for this purpose. Because of this, Capt. Cook gave the name "Kaye's Island" to this feature. It was called "Nuestra Senora del Carmen" or "Isla del Carmen," meaning "Our Lady Carmen" or "Island of (Our Lady) Carmen" by Don I. Arteaga about July 16, 1779, for the saint to whom this day was dedicated.

The Bering Expedition Landing Site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/77001542.pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Bering Expedition Landing Site (AHRS SITE NO. XMI 005)] |191 KiB |date=January 15, 1976 |author=William S. Hanable |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/77001542.pdf "Accompanying photos, exterior and interior, from 19."] |32 KB]

Cape Saint Elias is located on the southwest end of the island. Mount Saint Elias, the second highest mountain in the United States and Canada, was likely named after this cape.

The Cape St. Elias Light is an important aid-to-navigation located on the island.

References

External links

* [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P001&-tree_id=4001&-redoLog=true&-transpose=N&-all_geo_types=N&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=100$10000US022610002001191&-search_results=100$10000US021500001002009&-format=&-_lang=en&-show_geoid=Y Kayak Island: Block 1191, Census Tract 2, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska] United States Census Bureau