Noochuloghoyet
Noochuloghoyet
Nucha'la'woy'ya | |
|---|---|
Trading post | |
New river ice at Noochuloghoyet with two grounded steam ships, c.1884 | |
Interactive map of Noochuloghoyet | |
| Coordinates: 65°09′53″N 151°57′15″W / 65.16486°N 151.95422°W Location of Noochuloghoyet Point | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska |
| White settlement | 1868 |
| Founded by | François Xavier Mercier (formally) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Corporate |
| • Body | Alaska Commercial Company |
| Population (1890) | |
• Total | 120 |
Noochuloghoyet, commonly spelled Nuklukayet (from Nucha'la'woy'ya, lit. 'where the two rivers meet'),[a][2] was a populated place and trading location near Noochuloghoyet Point at the confluence of the Yukon and Tanana Rivers in the state of Alaska. It was relocated several times in the late 19th century.[1]
History
Early history
Noochuloghoyet Point was originally a meeting place for Indigenous tribes to celebrate the arrival of spring.[1] The Tanana Athabaskans, Koyukon, Gwich'in, and Northern Tutchone all met to trade at this location.[3] It was considered neutral ground, where men from various tribes would arrive in birch-bark canoes.[4] By 1861, Russian traders began to visit the area each spring to sell furs.[1]
Formal trading post establishment
In 1868, François Xavier Mercier, later of the Alaska Commercial Company, established a formal trading post called Noochuloghoyet.[5] The location of the post was on the mouth of the Tozitna River, over 20 kilometres (12 mi) away from Noochuloghoyet Point.[1] The location was sometimes referred to as "Fort Mercier" after the founder, and also "Fort Adams".[6] It was a popular stop for steamboat traders, and was the home for prospectors in the region.[7] It was frequented by traders and frontiersmen such as Arthur Harper, Jack McQuesten, and Alfred Mayo.[1]
Bishop Isidore Clut arrived at Noochuloghoyet in 1873 and performed the first Catholic mass and baptism in Alaska. It was the location of the region's first Catholic burial in 1878. As such, the post was considered the "cradle of the Catholic faith on Alaskan soil".[6]:288
Relocations and later years
In 1877, a second trading post, also called Noochuloghoyet, was established by the Western Fur and Trading Company about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) up the Tozitna. In 1880, it had a population of 2 whites and 27 Athabaskans. The Western Fur and Trading Company was bought out by the Alaska Commercial Company, and the second Noochuloghoyet was dismantled in 1883. That year, the original Noochuloghoyet was moved a short distance downriver to higher ground by Arthur Harper. This location was also known as "Tanana Station". At this time, it was considered the "most important trading post on the Yukon River".[1]
Between 1888 and 1892, the settlement was called "Walker's Post" after the trader put in charge by the Alaska Commercial Company. The 1890 census reported 120 people in 36 households. Gordon Bettles took control after 1892.[1]
In 1896, the company moved the trading post to be closer to Tanana. The post was abandoned in the early 20th century. Archaeological excavations and analyses of the region were performed in 1986.[1]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Turck, Thomas J.; Turck, Diane L. Lehman (1992). "Trading Posts along the Yukon River: Noochuloghoyet Trading Post in Historical Context". Arctic. 45 (1): 51–61. ISSN 0004-0843. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ Gaede-Penner, Naomi (2012). Honoring our sacred healing place, Tanana, Alaska : Nucha ʹla ʹwoy ʹya : where the two rivers meet : development, history, community & cultural significance of the Tanana Hospital Complex. Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Area Native Health Service, Office of Environmental Health & Engineering. p. 39. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ Simeone, William (1990). Identity, History and the Athabaskan Potlatch (PDF) (Thesis). McMaster University. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ Andrews, Clarence L. (1941). "Some Notes on the Yukon by Stewart Menzies". The Pacific Northwest Quarterly. 32 (2): 197. ISSN 0030-8803.
- ^ Haynes, Terry L.; Simeone, William E. (July 2007). "Upper Tanana Ethnographic Overview and Assessment, Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve" (PDF). Technical Paper No. 325. Alaska Department of Fish and Game: 41. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ a b Leclaire, Alphonse (1893). Revue canadienne (in French). Montreal, Canada. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Farciot, Charles O.; Everette, Willis E. (2021). Allan, Chris (ed.). A River's Many Faces (PDF). Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve: U. S. National Park Service. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
Further reading
- Laguna, Frederica de (1 October 2011). "The Middle Yukon: Tanana Mission To Ruby". Travels Among the Dena: Exploring Alaska's Yukon Valley. pp. 91–112. doi:10.1515/9780295801056-008. Retrieved 7 September 2025.