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'Barrow' is a city in North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Barrow is the northernmost settlement on the North American mainland and in the United States, and one of the northernmost towns of more than 2,000 residents in the world (see Khatanga, Tiksi). Nearby Point Barrow is the northernmost point of the United States (see Extreme points of the United States and Northernmost settlements.) According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 4,218. Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Alaska

Contents

Geography

Climate

Demographics

History

Sports teams

Notable facts

See also

References

External links

Geography

Barrow is located at (71.300371, -156.735840).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 55 km² (21 mi²). 48 km² (18 mi²) of it is land and 8 km² (3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 14% water. The predominant land type in Barrow is tundra.

Climate

Due to its extreme location far north of the Arctic Circle, Barrow's climate is extremely cold and dry. Winters are dangerously cold, and summers are cool even at their warmest. Weather observations are available for Barrow dating back into the late 1800s. Currently there is a National Weather Service Office and a NOAA Climate Monitoring Lab in Barrow.
From the National Climatic Data Center (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov) and the National Weather Service (http://pabr.arh.noaa.gov):

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	36	36	34	42	47	72	79	76	62	43	39	34
Norm High °F	-7.7	-9.8	-7.4	6.3	24.9	39.5	46.5	43.6	34.8	19.3	4.6	-4.7
Norm Low °F	-19.6	-22	-20	-7.3	15.3	30.4	34.3	33.8	27.5	9.8	-6.4	-16.4
Rec Low °F	-53	-56	-52	-42	-19	4	22	20	1	-32	-40	-55
Precip (in)	0.12	0.12	0.09	0.12	0.12	0.32	0.87	1.04	0.69	0.39	0.16	0.12
''Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]''

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,683 people, 1,399 households, and 976 families residing in the city. The population density was 96.1/km² (249.0/mi²). There were 1,620 housing units at an average density of 34.0/km² (88.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 21.83% White, 1.00% Black or African American, 57.19% Native Alaskan, 9.41% Asian, 1.35% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 8.51% from two or more races. 3.34% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,399 households out of which 56.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.8% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.35 and the average family size was 4.80.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $63,094.09, and the median income for a family was $68,223. Males had a median income of $51,959 versus $46,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,902. 8.6% of the population and 7.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.2% of those under the age of 18 and 13.12% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

History

Before it was Barrow, Barrow was known as ''Ukpiagvik''. The name means "place where owls are hunted" in Inupiaq.
Archaeological sites in the area indicate the Inupiat lived around Barrow as far back as 500. Some remains of 16 dwelling mounds from the Birnirk culture of about 800 are still in evidence today.

Barrow takes its current name from Point Barrow, which was named for Sir John Barrow of the British Admiralty in 1825. British Navy officers were in the area to explore and map the Arctic coastline of North America. The United States Army established a meteorological and magnetic research station at Barrow in 1881, and the Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station was established in 1893.
By 1888 there was a Presbyterian church at Barrow, and in 1901, a United States Post Office was opened.
In 1935, the famous humorist Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post made a planned stop 25 km (15 miles) south of Barrow on an air trip. After they took off again, their plane stalled and plunged into a river, killing them both. Two monuments are located at the crash site. Barrow's airport is named Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport in their memory.
The residents of the area cast the lone vote in opposition to passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which passed in December 1971. In 1972, the North Slope Borough was established. The borough used millions of dollars in new revenues to create roads, sanitation services, water and electrical services, and health and educational services in the area.
In 1986, the North Slope Borough created the North Slope Higher Education Center, which later became Ilisagvik College, gaining accreditation in 2003. The two-year college is dedicated to providing an education based on the Inupiat culture.
The Tuzzy Consortium Library is located in Barrow.

Sports teams

On August 19, 2006 the Barrow Whalers of Barrow High School [2] played the first official football game in the Arctic against Delta Junction High School [3]. Delta Junction won 34-0. Barrow recorded its first win two weeks later defeating Sitka High School 28-22 and the coaches and players celebrated the historic win by jumping into the Arctic Ocean, just 100 yards from the makeshift dirt field. Although finishing just 1-5, the team remained competitive by scoring in its final three contests — all played on the road. The program is slated to join the seven-team Greatland Conference for 2007. The team was profiled on ESPN SportsCenter in November 2006 and July 2007.
On August 17, 2007 at 23:00 ET, the Barrow Whalers football team played their first game of the 2007 season on their new ProGrass Artificial Turf Field. With five minutes to go the Whalers were losing by 16 to 6. The game ended with a come-from-behind win by the Barrow Whalers with a score of 18 to 16. In the same way they celebrated last years only winning game, The Whalers celebrated by jumping into the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean. The historic game, attended by former Chicago Bear Dick Butkus, was the first live internet broadcast of a sporting event from north of the Arctic Circle. [4], [5].
Led by of Kathy Parker, the wife of one of their football coaches, the Bartram Trail High School in Jacksonville, FL worked with communities across the country to raise $800,000 to install the ProGrass Artificial Turf football field in Barrow. As of May 19, 2007 "Project Alaska Turf" had raised more than $350,000. They were successful in getting the rest, and the field was installed over several days from 7/28/07 to 8/9/07. On seeing the completed field for the first time on 8/17/07, Mrs. Parker remarked to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: "The only thing I could think of was it looks like God stamped the top of the world with a hundred yards of the most beautiful blue and gold you've ever seen."
As a marketing technique, the Golden Baseball League's Long Beach Armada changed their name to "'Long Beach Armada of Los Angeles of California of the United States of North America Including Barrow, Alaska'". This makes Barrow the northernmost sister city of a baseball franchise, as well as a fan base of the Armada. The tactic is similar to one used by Arturo Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who changed the name of the former Anaheim Angels in an attempt to gain a larger fan base in the Los Angeles Area.

Notable facts

★ Barrow is the setting for a series of horror comics called ''30 Days of Night''. The stories center on vampires who take advantage of the month or so of darkness that takes place annually in the town. (This comic's depiction of Barrow bears no resemblance to Barrow in any way but name.) A film based on the comic has been shot, and is due to be released some time in October 2007. The film stars Josh Hartnett. It was produced by Ghost House Pictures, producers of The Grudge.

★ Barrow has an AM/FM radio station, KBRW, broadcasting on 680 AM and 91.9 FM.

★ Barrow, like many communities in Alaska, has a "damp" law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, but still allows for import, possession and consumption.

See also

★ Rogers-Post Site

References

External links

★ The City of Barrow (municipal government)

★ The Wizard of Odds A Football Field At The Top Of The World - A Dream Realized

★ August 2007 - Photos of Barrow's new Football Field

★ Project Barrow Alaska Turf Project Alaska Turf: Home page to build Football Field for The Barrow Whalers high-school Football Team.

★ ESPN Update Video: Barrow's new turf field - August 2007

★ ESPN Update Story: Save The Whalers - July 2007

★ ESPN Story: Outside the Lines feature on Barrow football

★ Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC)

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★ National Weather Service Barrow, Alaska