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Revision as of 23:33, 6 October 2004 by 67.106.39.251 (talk) (Add name origin)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Kenai is a city located in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 6,942.
Geography
Kenai is located at 60°33'31" North, 151°13'47" West (60.558738, -151.229616).
Kenai is located on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula near the outlet of the Kenai River to the Cook Inlet of the Pacific Ocean.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 92.0 km² (35.5 mi²). 77.4 km² (29.9 mi²) of it is land and 14.6 km² (5.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 15.85% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 6,942 people, 2,622 households, and 1,788 families residing in the city. The population density is 89.6/km² (232.2/mi²). There are 3,003 housing units at an average density of 38.8/km² (100.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 82.76% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 8.74% Native American, 1.66% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 5.00% from two or more races. 3.82% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,622 households out of which 40.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% are married couples living together, 12.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% are non-families. 26.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.64 and the average family size is 3.20.
In the city the population is spread out with 32.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $45,962, and the median income for a family is $56,856. Males have a median income of $48,371 versus $27,112 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,789. 9.8% of the population and 8.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 12.5% are under the age of 18 and 4.2% are 65 or older.
History
Kenai is named after the Kenai Peninsula. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for the Cook Inlet.
Archaelogical evidence suggests that the area was occupied by Dena'ina Athabascan people from at least 8000 B. C.
Before the arrival of the Russians, Kenai was a Dena'ina village called Shk'ituk't, which means "where we slide down." When Russian fur traders first arrived in 1741, about 1,000 Dena'ina lived in the village. The traders called the people "Kenaitze," or "Kenai people."
In 1791, a Russian trading post, Fort St. Nicholas, was constructed in the middle of the village for the purposes of fur and fish trading. It was the second permanent Russian settlement in Alaska. In 1849, the Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church was built in the village.
In 1869, after the Alaska Purchase the United States Army established a post called Fort Kenay. It was soon abandoned.
In 1888 a prospector named Alexander King discovered gold on the Kenai Peninsula. The amount of gold was small compared to the later gold finds in the Klondike, Nome and Fairbanks.
Through the 1920s, commercial fishing was the primary activity around Kenai. In 1940, homesteads were opened in the area. The first dirt road from Anchorage was constructed in 1951. In 1957, oil was discovered at Swanson River, 20 miles northeast of Kenai. This was the first major oil discovery in Alaska. In 1965, offshore oil discoveries in Cook Inlet caused a period of rapid growth.
