Gustavus, Alaska
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Gustavus is a census-designated place located in Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the CDP is 429.
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Geography
Gustavus is located at 58°24'59" North, 135°44'44" West (58.416327, -135.745549)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 97.6 km² (37.7 mi²). 97.6 km² (37.7 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
History
The community of Gustavus lies on the historic outwash plain created by the glaciers that once filled Glacier Bay. Only two hundred years ago it was primarily, one big “beach.” The town itself is barely one hundred years old, being legally homesteaded in 1955, but pre-Gustavus history speaks of native Tlingit Indians and others using the area for fishing, berry picking and other similar uses.
Gustavus used to be known as Strawberry Point, for reasons you probably can guess. In 1925 Strawberry Point was officially given the name Gustavus by the government upon the creation of a local post office. At the time, most locals preferred Strawberry Point.
Gustavus was picked by the government because that's what had been on the maps for 47 years. In 1793 Captain George Vancouver named Point Adolphus (today a well-known humpback whale feeding area) after Adolphus Frederick, the seventh son of King George. In 1878, William Healey Dall, while working on a coastal survey, saw “Adolphus” on the map, and assumed it was for King Gustavus II of Sweden, who was also known as Gustavus Adolphus. Strawberry Point, which is across from Point Adolphus, wasn’t listed on the map so Healey put “Gustavus” on the map!
Today, Gustavus still has a big beautiful beach with many strawberries. It also is surrounded on three sides by National Park and the fourth side by water. Spruce and Hemlock trees reach 60 m (200 feet) into the sky, and alders, balsam poplar, fern, mosses, fireweed, lupine and other plants also adorn what is technically a temperate rain forest. Being on the coast brings in wet air and keeps everything green and lush, plus giving Gustavus a relatively mild winter. Summer temperatures hold around 16 to 19°C, while most of the winter is a “warm” 3°C.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 429 people, 199 households, and 114 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 4.4/km² (11.4/mi²). There are 345 housing units at an average density of 3.5/km² (9.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 89.28% White, 0.00% Black or African American, 4.20% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.63% from other races, and 4.43% from two or more races. 1.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 199 households out of which 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% are married couples living together, 6.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% are non-families. 38.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.16 and the average family size is 2.89.
In the CDP the population is spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 36.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 128.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 134.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP is $34,766, and the median income for a family is $51,786. Males have a median income of $41,750 versus $29,375 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $21,089. 14.6% of the population and 9.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.2% of those under the age of 18 and 13.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.