The History of Perryville

Perryville is located on the south coast of the Alaska Peninsula, 275 miles southwest of Kodiak and 350 miles southwest of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 55° 54' N Latitude, 159° 09' W Longitude (Sec. 27, T049S, R064W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Aleutian Islands Recording District. The area encompasses 37 sq. miles of land and 8 sq. miles of water.

Perryville was founded in 1912 as a refuge for Aleut people driven away from their villages by the eruption of Mt. Katmai. Many villagers from Douglas and Katmai survived the eruption because they were out fishing at the time. Captain Perry of the ship "Manning" transported people from the Katmai area to Ivanof Bay, and later, to the new village site. The village was originally called "Perry," but the "ville" was added to conform to the post office name, established in 1930.

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