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History · Ambler

Ambler was first counted by the census in 1960

Most of Ambler was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1955 on, and the census since 1960.

1960first census
0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ambler’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ambler began

When was Ambler founded?

1960

Ambler first appears in the census in 1960.

First census: 70 in 19602020 census: 27466 years
Founding year: the first census.The full story ↓

What stands out about Ambler’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Ambler’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ambler’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewAFM-AerialMap-A: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Ambler came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ambler.

Read it all →

The community was named for a tributary of the Kobuk River, which was named for Dr. James M. Ambler, who died of starvation after his ship was trapped in the Arctic ice in 1881. Ambler was permanently settled in 1958 when people from Shungnak and Kobuk moved downstream because of the variety of fish, wild game and spruce trees in the area. An archaeological site is located nearby at Onion Portage. A post office was established in 1963 First Post Master was Sarah Tickett. The city was incorporated in 1971. The story of the prophet Maniilaq states that he predicted in the future a great whale would swim upriver and arrive at Ambler. Founding fathers were Harry Tickett, Truman Cleveland, Nelson Greist Sr, Mark Cleveland, Tommy Lee, Charlie Douglas and Tommy Douglas. Current 2023 Ambler IRA President Miles Cleveland Sr.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Ambler, 1955 to 1998

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1955On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1963Post officeThe Ambler post office opens
  4. 1998In the archiveAFM-AerialMap-A
By decade

Ambler, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s1 item
AFM-AerialMap-A1998AFM-AerialMap-A
Today2 recent
Aerial winter view of the village of2013Aerial winter view of the village ofAmbler, Alaska summer aerial view2010Ambler, Alaska summer aerial view
On the map

Ambler on the map, 1955 to 1966

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ambler. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Ambler on the 1955 USGS mapAmbler on the 1966 USGS map1955Ambler River A-4 sheet · 1:63,360

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ambler.

People over time

Ambler, census by census

01002003001960198020002020Peak: 311

Between 70 and 311 people in every census since 1960.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ambler’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners

Ambler’s post office has been open since 1963.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Unnatak

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Ambler’s history

What year was Ambler founded?

The Ambler post office opened in 1960, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1971.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.