March-April, 2021
Postcard with caption “General view of St. Michels, Alaska” Note the spelling, one of several variations.
St. Michael Gateway to the Yukon and the Kuskokwim Treeless, windswept, boggy St. Michael Island, 8 miles wide and 36 miles long and separated from the mainland by the North Branch of Big St. Michael Canal, lies along the southern coast of Norton Sound, off the Bering Sea, 125 southeast of Nome and some 48 miles southwest of Unalakleet. Adjacent to the southeast part of the island lies St. Michael Bay, the closest deepwater port to the mouth of the Yukon River, approximately 40 miles to the southwest. This port, protected from the harsh weather of the open sea, became an important stop in the all-water route from Seattle, San Francisco, and other ports on the west coast to the Klondike and Fortymile gold fields via the Yukon River. For those who did not care to face the harrowing challenges of the notorious Chilkoot Pass and a wild trip down the lakes and rivers to Whitehorse and Dawson City, the St. Michael route offered an easier and more convenient, although much longer, trip.
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