Popof Island


Popof Island is an island in the Shumagin Islands south of mainland Alaska. The largest community in the area, Sand Point, is located on the northwest coast. Popof Island is 10 miles long, 5 miles wide and the peak elevation is 1,550 feet. It is located at. It has a land area of 93.651 km² and a total population of 952 persons at the 2000 census.
Pirate Cove on the island was developed as a major codfish fishing station.
A herd of introduced bison is on the uninhabited side of the island and currently numbers about 120.

Demographics

Popof Island first appeared as a separate political entity on the 1890 U.S. Census with a population of 146. Of these, 135 were White, 7 were Creole, 3 were Asian and 1 was Native. This included 3 settlements on the island: Pirate Cove, which had previously appeared on the 1880 census separately with 7 residents, located on the northeast side of the island; Red Cove on the south side of the island; and Sand Point Station on the northwestern side of the island. Census enumerators also counted all the ships that were docked at Pirate Cove and those at Sand Point.
Beginning in 1900, Popof Island villages reported separately. Red Cove was abandoned. Pirate Cove appeared once more on the 1920 census before it was abandoned. Sand Point became the dominant village on the island, growing from 16 residents in 1900 to 976 by 2010. It incorporated as a city in 1966 and became important enough to be made the equivalent of county seat for the Aleutians East in 1987. As of 2000, all residents of Popof Island reside within the city limits of Sand Point.