Nunam Iqua dates to 1974
How Nunam Iqua began, and where its name came from
When was Nunam Iqua founded?
Nunam Iqua dates its founding to 1974 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1952.
How did Nunam Iqua get its name?
Nunam Iqua is a Yupik name meaning "land's end" (nuna = "land"; iquk = "end").
A man named Sheldon opened a fish saltery there in the 1930s, and the city was incorporated under the name Sheldon Point in 1974. The name was changed to Nunam Iqua in a November 1999 referendum.
Lost post offices and old corners
Another post office, Sheldon Point, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Nunam Iqua’s history
What year was Nunam Iqua founded?
In 1974, according to Wikidata. Nunam Iqua’s post office opened in 1952.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 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.