Candle ( Qawiaraq Iñupiaq: ''Kialukuwik''; Malimiut Iñupiaq: ''Masrutuuq'') is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in the

Northwest Arctic Borough Northwest Arctic Borough is a List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska, borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,793, up from 7,523 in 2010. The borough seat is Kotze ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. It is situated on the west bank of the Kiwalik River at Candle Creek. It was founded around 1901 as a mining camp, named for the adjacent creek. The post office was established in 1902.

History

Candle is the birthplace of prominent Native American actor

Ray Mala Ray Mala (born Ray Agnaqsiaq Wise, also known as Ach-nach-chiak ( Iñupiaq othography: ''Aġnatchiaq'' or ''Aġnasiaq''); December 27, 1906 – September 23, 1952) was a prominent Alaska Native actor. He was one of Hollywood's Native Americ ...

. Although there was a hospital in Candle, Mala was delivered in an Inupiaq sod house by his grandmother and a niece on a ruthlessly cold morning two days after Christmas in 1906. In 1908, Candle was the turnaround point for the first major mushing competition, the

All Alaska Sweepstakes The was an annual dog-sled race held in Alaska during April. Mushers traveled from Nome to Candle, traveling along the Bering Strait, and then return to Nome. Between 1908 and 1917 the race was held ten times. Due to the United States' involv ...

, which was started by John Skyles Beltz and Allan "Scotty" Alexander Allan, and ran from

Nome Nome may refer to: Country subdivision * Nome (Egypt), an administrative division within ancient Egypt * Nome (Greece), the administrative division immediately below the ''peripheries of Greece'' (, pl. ) Places United States * Nome, Alaska ...

to Candle and back.

Demographics

Candle first appeared on the U.S. Census as an unincorporated village in 1910. It continued to report until 1960. Although it has not been completely abandoned, it has not reported a separate population since 1960.

References

Mining communities in Alaska Unincorporated communities in Alaska Unincorporated communities in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska {{NorthwestArcticAK-geo-stub