Russians originally settled Aleuts at Belkofski in 1823 to harvest the large concentration of sea otters inhabiting the area's reefs. At the height of this exploitation, Belkofski was one of the most affluent villages in the area. In the 1880s, there were three stores, and residents imported building materials and furniture from San Francisco. A Russian Orthodox Church was built. When the otter industry diminished at the turn of the century, so did the population of Belkofski. Remaining residents trapped. Cash employment in the Pribilofs, King Cove or Sand Point lured residents away from the village.
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