On September 8, 1906, the office of the Governor of Alaska moved from Sitka to Juneau, completing the transfer of the territorial government and marking a turning point in Alaskan history.

Founded during the gold rush of the 1880s, Juneau had grown into a major commercial and mining center. Congress had already designated Juneau as the temporary seat of government in 1900, but the governor’s office didn’t relocate until 1906.

While Juneau wasn’t formally named capital until 1912, this move signaled the rise of Juneau as Alaska’s political center and the end of Sitka’s long role as the territorial headquarters.

The governor was Wilford B. Hoggatt. And here’s a neat twist, he was a Juneau man. Hoggatt personally oversaw the transfer from Sitka, even shipping the government records and books north. There’s no clear written statement from him on celebrating the move but he carried it out. And interestingly, Hoggatt actually opposed giving Alaska territorial self-government at the time.

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