Kodiak History Museum

10/01/2026

The Kodiak History Museum is excited to announce that we received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services !

Grant funds will support Kodiak author Susan Jeffrey and the Museum joining together to revise, publish, and distribute an updated edition of the beloved Kodiak history book, "A Legacy Built to Last"!

"A Legacy Built to Last" is a widely valued local history book that provides an engaging, place-based overview of Kodiak’s history from the Russian era of the 1700s through today. For this 20th anniversary edition, Jeffrey will refine and update the text and add a new chapter highlighting significant events from 1970 to the present.

The book will be produced in print and eBook formats in fall 2028. We look forward to sharing it with you!

Image: Author Susan Jeffrey in front of the Russian-American Magazin building

09/30/2026

Historical Highlights are a chance to explore things that are not on display.

As a hobbyist photographer, I often am more drawn to candid images than posed, as they more effectively tell a story, or rather, an intersection of many lives and moments in time. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” some say—such is the case for this photograph. As the men depart for deeper, open waters, the Tug “Chilkat” pulls a barge in the distance. Oscar Ellison, a resident of Afognak, is among these men. The context of time and place—Karluk, circa 1914—shares more insight into this blip in time. The Alaska Packers Association cannery once stood in Karluk, but was later moved to Larsen Bay sometime around 1911. Karluk, however, was still a major seining location for the cannery.

Much of this context would have been lost had its candid nature been boxed into a moment to pose for the camera. So many personalities have often been dulled with a posed image, especially those among nineteenth and early twentieth century photography. While we currently do not know who took this photo, we know that this was a group of hardy men working to bring in fish that would later be canned and enjoyed who-knows-where. Such a moment communicates an interconnected world that expands beyond the four corners of the frame.

- Braden

Photograph: Oscar Ellison at Karluk beach. Kodiak Historical Society, Oscar Ellison Collection, P-344-2

09/29/2026

We are excited for First Friday Artwalk. This Friday, October 2nd, 5-7pm!

Kodiak Pride and the Kodiak History Museum are excited to announce the opening of a new exhibit – "Out on the Rock: Kodiak Q***r History". Join us for food and activities, free and open to the public.

09/26/2026

Everyone has the opportunity to be part of an exhibit at the Kodiak History Museum this Spring! Guest Curator JoAnne Knight is announcing a new project – "Kodiak, Through Our Eyes: A Community Photography Exhibition" debuting March 2027. Knight is currently seeking submissions from Kodiak Island residents who wish to be a part of the show.

Learn more and apply: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x81eqFT57MJIym0T38WcQgDQSEn2wMZL/view

09/03/2026

Seeking Kodiak History Enthusiasts to Serve on the Kodiak Historical Society Board of Directors

Do you love Kodiak and its history? Please apply to serve on the Kodiak Historical Society Board of Directors! There are two seats open for election. No special credentials or education required, just:

- An active Kodiak Historical Society Membership
- Interest in Kodiak’s history
- Availability to meet in-person or via zoom once a month on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM AKST
- Enthusiasm!

By joining the board, you will:

- Have an opportunity to comment on museum programming
- Be in the know about upcoming events and exhibits coming to the museum
- Share your knowledge and love of Kodiak with the rest of the community
- Build your resume with board experience

To nominate yourself or someone else, simply email [email protected] and give a brief description of yourself and why you would be a good fit for the Board.

Deadline September 25th.

Thank you to our fantastic Board of Directors: Michael Bach, Teri Mahle, Sarah Simeonoff, Holly Hunter, Lisa Oliveira, Al Seale, Qangyuk (Natalia) Schneider, and Roberta Austring.

Become a Member: https://kodiakhistorymuseum.org/become-a-member/

Learn about the Board: https://kodiakhistorymuseum.org/about/board-of-directors/

09/02/2026

Historical Highlights are a chance to explore things that are not currently on display. I have fallen in love with a book in our reference library. What's Cooking in Kodiak was sponsored by the Officers Wives Club (U.S. Naval Station, Kodiak) in 1953. The recipes are tasty—but the illustrations are priceless vignettes of old Kodiak.

Here, two people are fishing in Shahafka Cove on a moonlit evening. Behind them are the old Baptist Mission, shoreline, and woods that were lost along with the original beach on Good Friday 1964.

Here, two young men in anoraks work beneath a blustery sky. They are moving king crab from a tar-coated skiff to a crowded holding pen that is wired to the low, narrow floating dock on which they stand. What a contrast to The Deadliest Catch!
Some things don't change. Go to the docks almost any day to see someone working on gear. This fisherman sits on a makeshift bench, his weathered face serene in concentration, his trusty knife beside him.

Images in this article were created by Virginia O'Rourke and Martha Bolling, (c) 1953. Virginia O'Rourke, better known as a watercolorist, counted Kodiak as one of many stops in a lifetime of exploration. Martha Bolling attained an international reputation as an artist and teacher under the name Leigh Hyams. Both are remembered with love and respect by many.

- Jennifer

Explore the public database: https://kodiakhistorymuseum.catalogaccess.com/home

09/01/2026

We are looking forward to First Friday Artwalk! This Friday, September 4th, 5-7pm.
The Kodiak History Museum will be hosting a Kids' Night. There will be a variety of activities for all ages, including crafts, worksheets, and many touchable artifacts to enjoy.

September's First Friday Art Walk, 5pm-7pm is Friday!

🎨Visit Kodiak Economic Development Corporation 's office to see enjoy the art work of Gloria Selby. Featuring 18 pieces, including several brand new paintings.

🔖 Join Bev of Heart Rock Club for the opening of the show, "Big Paper, Raw Edges + Pieces from the Vault" at the Heart Rock Club Headquarters. Final First Friday in this location.

🪆Stop by the Kodiak History Museum for a kids night at the museum. There will be a variety of activities for all ages. Free and open to the public

🪽Check out The Frame Shop's featured artist, Hannah Gordon and her new release, the Taking Flight Collection, inspired by the shapes and water reflections of local birds.

🍄‍🟫 Join Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge for a Fun with Fungi craft night! Learn about Kodiak Fungi and craft your own. All ages welcome.

🌌 Stop by Kodiak Island Brewing & Still to enjoy art by Kerry Kerns and Jane Robinson

08/05/2026

We are looking forward to First Friday Artwalk this Friday, August 7th, 5-7pm!

08/05/2026

Historical Highlights are a chance to explore things that are not currently on display. I have always been curious about this painted chest lid in the Museum (78-7-1). In 1978, Nancy Kemp and her husband, Gerry Wilson, were renting a home owned by the Von Scheele family and they found this painted wooden chest lid in the garden shed. They hung it over their fireplace and when their friend and former Museum Curator, Eunice Von Scheele Neseth, came to visit she exclaimed, “That’s where that is!” and insisted they bring it to the Museum. It is still a mystery why this painting was so special to Eunice. Her father, Herman, and brother, Robert Von Scheele, operated a mail boat in Kodiak and Afognak. Perhaps there is some connection? Do you have any information about this chest lid? We would love to hear it!
- Margaret
https://kodiakhistorymuseum.catalogaccess.com/objects/527

08/04/2026

Kodiak Maritime Museum and Kodiak History Museum invite community members to join us in an important conversation about the future of preserving and sharing Kodiak's history.

The two museums face a common challenge: we do not have enough space to fulfill our missions. The Kodiak Maritime Museum needs a permanent home in which to create exhibits and store artifacts from Alaska's maritime history. The Kodiak History Museum has also reached the limits of its collections storage, making it increasingly difficult to preserve and provide access to Kodiak's tangible heritage.

Rather than tackling these challenges separately, the two museums are exploring collaborative solutions, and before we begin strategic planning this fall, we want to hear directly from you. What does the community want for the future of Kodiak’s museums? Are there creative, collaborative solutions that could help meet both museums' needs?

To that end, the Kodiak History Museum and Kodiak Maritime Museum will host a joint Community Conversation on the future of the two institutions. Attendees will hear a brief overview of the challenges and opportunities being explored by the museums, followed by an open discussion on August 12, 2026. Community feedback from this event will help guide future planning and decision-making, including exploring potential opportunities for shared space and expanded public access.

Whether you're a longtime museum supporter, a history enthusiast, or simply care about preserving Kodiak's heritage for future generations, your voice is an important part of the conversation.

Join us on Wednesday, August 12, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Kodiak Public Library Multipurpose Room and help shape the future of Kodiak's museums.