The village name was derived from Afognak Island, and was first reported in 1839 by Sub-Lt. Mikhail Murashev. The Census of 1890 noted a series of settlements along the beach, including Rutkovsky village, a group of retired employees of the Russian American Company. A post office was maintained intermittently from 1888 to 1958. The Good Friday earthquake of 1964 generated a tsunami which destroyed the village. A new community was constructed on the northeast coast of Kodiak Island, called Port Lions, and the residents of Afognak moved there permanently in December 1964.
To Community Histories Index Alaska DCCED Community Database Online
History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development