The present location is the third site that villagers can remember. The village moved downriver to the Mulchatna area from the "Old Village" in 1918. During the 1920s and 30s, the village was engaged in herding reindeer for the U.S. government. However, by 1942 the herd had dwindled to nothing; the village had been subjected to flooding; and the site was too far inland even to receive barge service. So in 1942, the village moved downriver again to its present location. Stuyahok appropriately means "going downriver place." The first school was built in 1961. A post office was also established during that year. An airstrip was built soon thereafter, and the 1960s saw a 40% increase in the village population.
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