Prior to Chignik, a Kaniagmuit Native village called Kaluak was located here; it was destroyed during the Russian fur boom in the late 1700s. Chignik, a Sugpiaq word meaning "big wind," was established in the late 1800s as a fishing village and cannery. A four-masted sailing ship called the "Star of Alaska" transported workers and supplies between Chignik and San Francisco. Chinese crews from San Francisco traveled to Chignik in early spring to make tin cans for the cannery. Japanese workers followed in mid-June to begin processing. A post office was established in 1901. Coal mining occurred from 1899 to 1915. Chignik became an incorporated City in 1983. Today, two historical canneries are still in operation.
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