Early History:
The Haines area was called the “Dei Shu” by the Tlingit, meaning, “end of the trail.” The Chilkat Tlingit controlled the trading routes between the coast and the Interior.
The first non-Native to settle here was George Dickinson, an agent for the Northwest Trading Co. in 1880. In 1881, S. Young Hall, a Presbyterian minister, received permission from the Chilkat to build the Willard Mission and school. The mission was renamed Haines in honor of Mrs. F.E. Haines, Secretary of the Presbyterian Women’s Executive Society of Home Missions, who had raised funds for the mission’s construction.
During the Klondike gold rush in the late 1890’s, it grew as a mining supply center, since the Dalton Trail from Chilkat Inlet to Whitehorse offered an easier route to the Yukon for prospectors.
Gold was also discovered 36 miles from Haines in 1899 at the Porcupine District. Four canneries had been constructed in the area by the turn of the century. The first permanent U.S. military installation was constructed south of Haines in 1904, Fort William H. Seward. In 1922, the fort was renamed Chilkoot Barracks.
Until World War II, it was the only U.S. Army post in Alaska. It was deactivated in 1946 and sold as surplus property to a group of veterans who established it as Port Chilkoot. In 1970, Port Chilkoot merged with Haines into one municipality. In 1972, the post was designated a national historic site and the name, Fort William Seward, was restored.
Haines is also known for its famous strawberries: the Alaskan hybrid “Burbank,” developed by Charles Anway, was a prizewinner in Seattle in 1909. The annual strawberry festival developed into the Southeast Alaska State Fair, which draws thousands of visitors each year.
The last of the early canneries closed in 1972 due to declining fish stocks. Expansion of the timber industry in the early 1970s fueled growth. The sawmills closed in 1976. Tourism is now an important source of income in the community
