Hyder, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Hyder is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska
, United States
. At the 2000 census the population was 97. Hyder has achieved fame as a point in Alaska accessible to automobile and motorbike travelers in Canada who want to say that they have been to Alaska. Hyder is also recognized as the easternmost town in Alaska.
, a 71 miles (114.3 km) long fjord which forms a portion of the border between the U.S. and Canada at the southeastern edge of the Alaska Panhandle
. Hyder is about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Stewart, British Columbia
by road, and 75 miles (120.7 km) from Ketchikan
by air.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 97 people, 47 households, and 25 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 6.5 people per square mile (2.5/km²). There were 72 housing units at an average density of 4.9 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93 White
, and 4 from two or more races. There was 1 Hispanics or Latinos
of any race.
There were 47 households out of which 9 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24 were married couples
living together, 1 had a female householder with no husband present, and 21 were non-families. 19 of all households were made up of individuals and 3 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.81.
The age distribution was 18 under 18, 11 from 18 to 24, 16 from 25 to 44, 45 from 45 to 64, and 7 who were 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. There were 44 females and 53 males, of them 34 females were age 18 and over, as were 45 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was U.S.$11,719, and the median income for a family was U.S.$30,500. Males had a median income of U.S.$56,250 versus U.S.$13,750 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was U.S.$11,491. There were 44.4% of families and 54.1% of the population living below the poverty line, including 81.0% under 18, and 50.0% over 64.
is 2 miles (3.2 km) away by road. The AMHS ferry that used to connect Hyder to Ketchikan stopped running in the 1990s, leaving the only public transportation between Hyder and the rest of Alaska the Taquan Air
floatplane
that arrives twice a week with U.S. Mail.
, who lived around the Nass River
, called the head of Portland Canal "Skam-A-Kounst," meaning safe place, probably because it served them as a retreat from the harassment of the Haidas on the coast. They travelled in the area seasonally to pick berries and hunt birds.
The area around the Portland Canal was explored in 1896 by Captain D.D. Gaillard of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In 1898, gold and silver lodes were discovered in the region, mainly on the Canadian side, in the upper Salmon River basin. The Stewart brothers, for whom the British Columbia town
was named, arrived in 1902.
Hyder was originally called Portland City, after the canal. In 1914, when the U.S. Postal Service told residents that there were many U.S. communities named Portland, it was renamed Hyder, after Frederick Hyder, a Canadian mining engineer who envisioned a bright future for the area. Hyder was the only practical point of access to the silver mines in Canada; the community became the port, supply point, and post office for miners by 1917. Hyder's boom years were the 1920s, when the Riverside Mine on the U.S. side extracted gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and tungsten. The mine operated from 1924 to 1950.
In 1948, the abandoned part of Hyder, which was built on pilings, was destroyed by fire. By 1956 all significant mining had ceased, except for the Granduc Copper Mine on the Canadian side, which operated until 1984. Currently, Westmin Resources Ltd. operates the only remaining mine in the area, a gold-and-silver mine on the Canadian side.
, which connects with the British Columbia highway system. Hyder became popular with long distance motorcycle riders in 1998 when author Ron Ayres set a record of riding to the contiguous 48 states in six days. Ayres went on to add to the 48 state record by continuing on to Hyder, Alaska to establish a new 49-state record of 7 days, 0 hours and 20 minutes. Ayres named the new long distance ride the "48 Plus" and the 49-state ride has become very popular with members of the long distance motorcycle riding Iron Butt Association
.
Hyder is also the location of the annual "Hyder-Seek" gathering of long-distance motorcyclists who travel from all over North America each Memorial Day weekend.
, instead using the area code of 250
allocated for British Columbia. Tourists will also find that Hyder uses Pacific Time Zone, the common currency is Canadian (with the exception of the U.S. Post Office, which only accepts American currency), they observe Canadian holidays, send their children to Canadian schools, and if you call the police a Canadian Mountie will respond.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At the 2000 census the population was 97. Hyder has achieved fame as a point in Alaska accessible to automobile and motorbike travelers in Canada who want to say that they have been to Alaska. Hyder is also recognized as the easternmost town in Alaska.
Geography
Hyder is located at the head of the Portland CanalPortland Canal
The Portland Canal is an arm of Portland Inlet, one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is approximately long. The Portland Canal forms part of the border between southeastern Alaska and British Columbia. The name of the entire inlet in the Nisga'a language is K'alii...
, a 71 miles (114.3 km) long fjord which forms a portion of the border between the U.S. and Canada at the southeastern edge of the Alaska Panhandle
Alaska Panhandle
Southeast Alaska, sometimes referred to as the Alaska Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The majority of Southeast Alaska's area is part of the Tongass National Forest, the United...
. Hyder is about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Stewart, British Columbia
Stewart, British Columbia
Stewart is a small town, incorporated as a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2006, its population was about 496.-History:...
by road, and 75 miles (120.7 km) from Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
by air.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38.3 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 97 people, 47 households, and 25 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6.5 people per square mile (2.5/km²). There were 72 housing units at an average density of 4.9 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93 White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, and 4 from two or more races. There was 1 Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race.
There were 47 households out of which 9 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24 were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 1 had a female householder with no husband present, and 21 were non-families. 19 of all households were made up of individuals and 3 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.81.
The age distribution was 18 under 18, 11 from 18 to 24, 16 from 25 to 44, 45 from 45 to 64, and 7 who were 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. There were 44 females and 53 males, of them 34 females were age 18 and over, as were 45 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was U.S.$11,719, and the median income for a family was U.S.$30,500. Males had a median income of U.S.$56,250 versus U.S.$13,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was U.S.$11,491. There were 44.4% of families and 54.1% of the population living below the poverty line, including 81.0% under 18, and 50.0% over 64.
Transportation
Stewart, British ColumbiaStewart, British Columbia
Stewart is a small town, incorporated as a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2006, its population was about 496.-History:...
is 2 miles (3.2 km) away by road. The AMHS ferry that used to connect Hyder to Ketchikan stopped running in the 1990s, leaving the only public transportation between Hyder and the rest of Alaska the Taquan Air
Taquan Air
Taquan Air is the operating name for Venture Travel, LLC, an American regional airline based in Southeast Alaska, USA. It operates domestic scheduled passenger and charter services...
floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
that arrives twice a week with U.S. Mail.
History
The Nisga'aNisga'a
The Nisga’a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga’a language as Nisga’a, are an Indigenous nation or First Nation in Canada. They live in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. Their name comes from a combination of two Nisga’a words: Nisk’-"top lip" and...
, who lived around the Nass River
Nass River
The Nass River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows from the Coast Mountains southwest to Nass Bay, a sidewater of Portland Inlet, which connects to the North Pacific Ocean via the Dixon Entrance...
, called the head of Portland Canal "Skam-A-Kounst," meaning safe place, probably because it served them as a retreat from the harassment of the Haidas on the coast. They travelled in the area seasonally to pick berries and hunt birds.
The area around the Portland Canal was explored in 1896 by Captain D.D. Gaillard of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In 1898, gold and silver lodes were discovered in the region, mainly on the Canadian side, in the upper Salmon River basin. The Stewart brothers, for whom the British Columbia town
Stewart, British Columbia
Stewart is a small town, incorporated as a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2006, its population was about 496.-History:...
was named, arrived in 1902.
Hyder was originally called Portland City, after the canal. In 1914, when the U.S. Postal Service told residents that there were many U.S. communities named Portland, it was renamed Hyder, after Frederick Hyder, a Canadian mining engineer who envisioned a bright future for the area. Hyder was the only practical point of access to the silver mines in Canada; the community became the port, supply point, and post office for miners by 1917. Hyder's boom years were the 1920s, when the Riverside Mine on the U.S. side extracted gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and tungsten. The mine operated from 1924 to 1950.
In 1948, the abandoned part of Hyder, which was built on pilings, was destroyed by fire. By 1956 all significant mining had ceased, except for the Granduc Copper Mine on the Canadian side, which operated until 1984. Currently, Westmin Resources Ltd. operates the only remaining mine in the area, a gold-and-silver mine on the Canadian side.
Destination Hyder
Hyder is accessible by highway from Stewart, British ColumbiaStewart, British Columbia
Stewart is a small town, incorporated as a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2006, its population was about 496.-History:...
, which connects with the British Columbia highway system. Hyder became popular with long distance motorcycle riders in 1998 when author Ron Ayres set a record of riding to the contiguous 48 states in six days. Ayres went on to add to the 48 state record by continuing on to Hyder, Alaska to establish a new 49-state record of 7 days, 0 hours and 20 minutes. Ayres named the new long distance ride the "48 Plus" and the 49-state ride has become very popular with members of the long distance motorcycle riding Iron Butt Association
Iron Butt Association
The Iron Butt Association is a US-based organization dedicated to endurance motorcycle riding with over 35,000 members world-wide who tout themselves as the "World's Toughest Riders." One of its more popular slogans is "The World Is Our Playground."...
.
Hyder is also the location of the annual "Hyder-Seek" gathering of long-distance motorcyclists who travel from all over North America each Memorial Day weekend.
Local notoriety
Hyder has some notoriety as the place where people become "Hyderized." Two of the town's bars issue certifications to patrons of being "Hyderized" if the patron consumes a shot of 150 proof (75% alcohol) Everclear.Canadian and British Columbian influence on culture
Hyder is notable for being the only place in Alaska not to use the state-wide 907 area codeArea code 907
Area code 907 covers the entire state of Alaska, except for the small southeastern Alaska community of Hyder, Alaska, which uses the 250 area code of neighboring Stewart, British Columbia. Area code 907 was assigned in 1957 along with area code 808 for Hawaii...
, instead using the area code of 250
Area code 250
Area code 250 is an area code for most of the Canadian province of British Columbia, including Vancouver Island. It was created on October 19, 1996 as a split of area code 604.The area code also serves the United States city of Hyder, Alaska....
allocated for British Columbia. Tourists will also find that Hyder uses Pacific Time Zone, the common currency is Canadian (with the exception of the U.S. Post Office, which only accepts American currency), they observe Canadian holidays, send their children to Canadian schools, and if you call the police a Canadian Mountie will respond.