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History · Gustavus

Gustavus dates to 1917

Most of Gustavus was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1995. Below: 1 old photo or paper.

1917founded
0on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
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From Gustavus’ archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Gustavus began

When was Gustavus founded?

1917

Gustavus dates its founding to 1917 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1925.

2020 census: 655109 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1925.The full story ↓

What stands out about Gustavus’ 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.
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Start Gustavus’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewAerial view of: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Gustavus came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Gustavus.

Read it all →

Gustavus, formerly known as "Strawberry Point," lies on the outwash plain formed by the glaciers that once filled Glacier Bay. Two hundred years ago, the area was primarily a single large "beach" utilized by the native Tlingit people and others for fishing, berry picking, and other similar uses. The first settlers arrived in 1914 but left shortly afterward. The first permanent homestead was established in 1917, when Abraham Lincoln Parker moved his family to Strawberry Point. Many Gustavus residents are descendants and relatives of the original Parker homesteaders.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Gustavus, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Aerial view ofDate?Aerial view of
Today5 recent
Gustavus Dock (mike) - Flickr2018Gustavus Dock (mike) - FlickrGustavus, Alaska2014Gustavus, AlaskaGlacier bay2009Glacier bayAlaska2009AlaskaGustavusDock2005GustavusDock
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Aerial view of
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Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Gustavus’ page.

Retake this view · +15

Questions about Gustavus’ history

What year was Gustavus founded?

In 1917, according to Wikidata. Gustavus’ post office opened in 1925.

Memory lane

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

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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 (6), 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.