Alaska Range
The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 600-mile-long (950 km) mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoar ...
, its population was recorded at 91 in the
1880 United States Census
The United States census of 1880 conducted by the Census Bureau during June 1880 was the tenth United States census.Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
The historic portion of the village was the subject of archaeological and ethnological research in the 1960s. Interviews with Dena'ina elders in
Nondalton
Nondalton ( Dena'ina: ''Nuvendaltun'' or ''Nundaltin'') is a city on the west shore of Six Mile Lake in the Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 133, down from 164 in 2010.
Geography
Nonda ...
established that the people of Kijik relocated to Old Nondalton (not far from present-day Nondalton) in the early 20th century, probably to be closer to trading posts and the canneries of
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay ( esu, Iilgayaq, russian: Залив Бристольский) is the easternmost arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km (250 mi) long and 290 km, ( ...
. A survey expedition that visited the site in 1909 reported it to be abandoned. A major archaeological excavation of the historic village took place in 1966, exposing twelve foundational remnants of log houses (many of the houses having apparently been moved to Old Nondalton at the time of the relocation), and two of what appeared to be larger communal structures.
In 1979, twelve acres of the village site were added to the National Register of Historic Places as a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
. A much larger area, encompassing a significant number of archaeological sites related to the habitation and use of the area from at least the 12th century forward, was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1994, for the unique concentration of sites related to the inland Dena'ina people.
The community was known by many other names than "Kijik" during its history, including "Lake Clark Village", "Nijik", "Nikhkak", "Nikhak", and "Old Keegik". Its current name has been spelled in a wide variety of ways, including "Keechik", "Keeghik", "Keejik", "Keggik", "Keygik", "Kichak", "Kichik", "Kilchik", and "Kilchikh".
Demographics
Kijik first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Tinneh village of "Kichik." It appeared again on the 1890 U.S. Census as "Nikhkak." It has not reported since and was abandoned after 1900, at somepoint before 1909.
National Register of Historic Places listings in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Lake and Peninsula B ...