The first school in Alaska opened in Sitka on this date in 1869.

While the territory of Alaska was purchased in 1867, the U.S. government had made no moves to open any schools in Alaska, so Sitka took it upon itself to begin its own.

The school was housed in a log cabin, and a teacher was brought in from Dixon, Illinois. The teacher, Miss Addie Messer, was paid $50  a month for her services, and on April 1st, Alaska had its first teacher.

Only white students were allowed to attend.

The log building was built for and served as a school for only four years before schooling was turned over to the Presbyterian mission (later Sheldon Jackson College) in 1873.

  1869, school, sitka