King Salmon
King
Salmon is located on the north bank of the Naknek River on the Alaska
Peninsula, about 15 miles upriver from Naknek. It is 284 miles southwest
of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 58° 41' N Latitude, 156° 39' W
Longitude (Sec. 23, T017S, R045W, Seward Meridian). The community is
located in the Kvichak Recording District. The area encompasses 219 sq.
miles of land and 19 sq. miles of water.
In the 1930s, an air navigation silo
was built at the site of present-day King Salmon. At the beginning of
World War II, the U.S. built an Air Force base. It was maintained by the
Federal Aviation Administration throughout the war. In 1949, a post
office was established, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed
a road to Naknek. Other government quarters, such as National Park
Service, Fish & Game, and the weather bureau, were developed. The King
Salmon Inn opened in 1956. The community has grown as a government,
transportation, and service center for the commercial red salmon and
recreational visitor industries. The air force base was closed in 1993.
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