Haines Blue Poster

A digital rendering of snow-topped mountains and a sun-dappled ocean surface as seen from the small port of Haines, Alaska. Several small boats are visible in the foreground. The word "Alaska" appears as well. The area around present-day Haines was called "'Dtehshuh" or "end of the trail" by the Chilkat group of Tlingit because they could portage (carry) their canoes from the trail they used to trade with the interior, which began at the outlet of the Chilkat River, to Dtehshuh and save 20 mi of rowing around the Chilkat Peninsula. During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898–1899 the population 30,000, composed largely of Americans. Haines grew as a supply centre, since the Dalton Trail from Chilkat Inlet offered a route to the Yukon for prospectors. Gold was also discovered 36 miles (58 km) from Haines in 1899 at the Porcupine District. During this time the name Haines came into use for the area around the mission and not for just the mission itself. The economy continued to grow and diversify. Four canneries were constructed around the mission by 1900. However, the completion of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway in neighbouring Skagway that same year led to the Dalton Trail's eventual abandonment and Haines' economic decline. Fort William H. Seward was constructed south of Haines in 1904, In 1922, the fort was renamed Chilkoot Barracks. The fort was deactivated in 1946 and sold as surplus property to a group of investors who called it Port Chilkoot, thus forming the Port Chilkoot Company. In 1970, Port Chilkoot merged with Haines into one municipality. In 1972, the fort was designated a National Historic Landmark. The last of the four canneries closed in 1972 due to declining fish stocks, though commercial fishing (both trolling and gillnetting) remains an important part of the local economy. Logging and sawing timber has been an industry around Haines but has declined also in recent years. During the 21st century Haines has twice set a local record for snowfall: for the 2006–2007 season it received 309 inches of snow, a record broken during the 2011–2012 season, when it received 360 inches. Many tourists visit during the annual appearance of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve between October and February. During this time, Haines has the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world. The community and surrounding area is also extremely popular for outdoor recreation. Rafting in the Chilkat River and hiking in the Takshanuk Mountains (Mount Ripinski and other peaks) are both popular. Growing winter recreational opportunities are available at and around Chilkat Pass for which Haines serves as a gateway with the Haines Highway. In recent years, Haines has received increasing attention as a site for heli-skiing. The Davidson Glacier, due to its relatively accessible nature, is also a popular attraction Haines is the location for the Southeast Alaskan State Fair, held annually each July. Among other attractions, the fairgrounds incorporate a portion of the set from Walt Disney's White Fang film, filmed in Haines in 1990. The surviving set includes a dozen small structures common to a mining town of the period of Jack London's book of the same name. Summer tourists also visit on cruise ships.