Ivan Gillis

200 Best Fishing in Retirement Locations

Location Number  42: (Tie with Rexburg, ID)

Kenai, AK

Kenai (IPA: /Èkinaj/) is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 7,464.

Kenai is named after the Kenai Peninsula. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for the Cook Inlet and translates to "flat, barren land". Or, it could refer to the Inuit word kenai (black bear).

Archaeological evidence suggests that the area was first occupied by the Kachemak people from 1000 B.C., until they were displaced by the Dena'ina Athabaskan people around 1000 A.D.

Before the arrival of the Russians, Kenai was a Dena'ina village called Shk'ituk't, which means "where we slide down." When Russian fur traders first arrived in 1741, about 1,000 Dena'ina lived in the village. The traders called the people "Kenaitze," or "Kenai people."

In 1791, a Russian trading post, Fort St. Nicholas, was constructed in the middle of the village for the purposes of fur and fish trading. It was the second permanent Russian settlement in Alaska.

Hostilities surfaced between the natives and settlers in 1797 when what is dubbed the battle of Kenai, an incident in which the Dena'ina attacked Fort St. Nicholas, resulting in over one hundred deaths from all involved parties. Later, in 1838, the introduction of smallpox killed one half of the Dena'ina population.

In 1869, after the Alaska Purchase the United States Army established a post called Fort Kenay. It was soon abandoned.

In 1888 a prospector named Alexander King discovered gold on the Kenai Peninsula. The amount of gold was small compared to the later gold finds in the Klondike, Nome and Fairbanks.

In 1940, homesteads were opened in the area. The first dirt road from Anchorage was constructed in 1951; pavement would not arrive until 1956 with the construction of the Kenai Spur highway.

A military base, Wildwood Army Station (later Wildwood Air Force Station), was established in 1953 and served as a major communications post. Wildwood was conveyed in 1974 to the Kenai Native Association in partial settlement of Alaska Native land claims. The facility was leased and later purchased by the State of Alaska and presently serves as the Wildwood Correctional Complex.

In 1957, oil was discovered at Swanson River, 20 miles northeast of Kenai. This was the first major oil discovery in Alaska. In 1965, offshore oil discoveries in Cook Inlet caused a period of rapid growth.

State Fish:

King salmon   Click this link for pictures and more information.

Types of Fish:

http://www.alaskafishing411.com/alaskan-sport-fishing-species.htm

State Fish & Game Website:  (Licensing requirements & Etc)

http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/

Fishing Information Links:

http://aa-fishing.com/ak/Alaska-fishing.html

http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/fishing.htm

http://www.kenai-guides.com/

http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/areas/fishing/southcentral/kenai-fishing.htm

Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2005: $45,600 (it was $45,962 in 2000)

Kenai	$45,600
Alaska:	$56,234

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $129,600 (it was $112,400 in 2000)

Kenai	$129,600
Alaska:	$197,100

Geographic:

Land area: 29.9 square miles.

Population density: 249 people per square mile

(very low).

In-Depth Facts and Figures as listed below, plus other information:

·        Climate Charts

1.      Average Temperature

2.      Precipitation (Rain)

3.      Humidity

4.      Wind Speed (MPH)

5.      Snowfall

6.      Sunshine

7.      Cloudy Days

·        Tornado Activity History

·        Hospitals & Medical

·        Airports

·        Colleges/Universities

·        High Schools

·        Locations of Interest

·        Shopping Centers

·        Churches

·        Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Creeks/Parks

·        Tourist Attractions

·        Banks

·        Housing Costs Information

·        Crime Statistics

·        Radio Stations AM/FM

·        TV Broadcast Stations

·        Discussion Forums

For the above information and photos, click this link:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Kenai-Alaska.html

Total Tax Burden--Data for Calculation

http://www.retirementliving.com/RLstate1.html#ALASKA

Cost of Living Calculators Links:

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html?step=form&x=36&y=3

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/movecalc.asp

http://cityrating.com/costofliving.asp

http://www.relocationessentials.com/aff/www/tools/salary/col.aspx

http://swz.salary.com/CostofLivingWizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp