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History · Whale Pass

Whale Pass’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Whale Pass. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

0old images & papers
0recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Whale Pass was originally a logging camp and was first recognized in 1980 as North Whale Pass, before shortening the name to simply Whale Pass. From 1980 to 2017, it was an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP). On January 31, 2017, residents voted to incorporate as a second-class city, receiving just under 75% of 46 ballots cast. This made Whale Pass the state's 116th second-class city.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Start Whale Pass’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Whale Pass’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Famous people from Whale PassWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Whale Pass.Meet them →
By decade

Whale Pass, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Whale Pass is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Whale Pass has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Etolin Canoe in Wrangell city and, 24.7 miles away.

Whale Pass and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Whale Pass. Tap a dot.
Etolin Canoe

Closest to Whale Pass

Etolin CanoeWrangell city and · Dugout Canoe24.7mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Etolin Canoe’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Whale Pass?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Whale Pass’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Coffman Cove📜 Edna Bay📜 Thorne Bay📜 Klawock
The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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