Sitka National Historical Park rangers Kaity McAdams and Jasa Woods celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Founders Day, which marked the beginning of the National Park Service. (Erin Fulton/Sitka National Historical Park)
Today (08-25-16), the Sitka National Historical Park celebrated the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service, also known as Founder’s Day.
To celebrate the Centennial, rangers led talks, tide pool explorations, tea and tours at the Russian Bishop’s House, and passed out vanilla cupcakes – with “park ranger” green sprinkles.
Ranger Mariah Leeseberg leads a talk on salmon for park visitors. The park reported 157,000 annual visitors a year in 2015. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)
The Sitka National Historical Park is home to the 1804 site of the battle of Russian and Tlingit forces, as well as a collection of totem poles from across Coastal Alaska. Previously a national monument, the 122-acre area was re-designated a national park on October 18, 1972. The park has expanded over the decades to include a fully-restored Russian Bishop’s house, 154,000 museum collection items and oral history accounts, and numerous programs for locals and visitors alike.
On August 25, 1916, known as “Founder’s Day,” President Woodrow Wilson formalized the creation and mission of the National Park Service. (Erin Fulton/Sitka Historical National Park)
