Kenai Peninsula history

History and education go hand in hand. That’s why the Kenai cultural center is highlighting the history of education on the Kenai Peninsula in a new exhibit.

While the Dena’ina people have lived in Kenai for thousands of years, the city’s more recent history has seen fur trapping, homesteading, fishing, oil and more. That’s why Kenai’s cultural museum is highlighting this diverse era in a new history exhibit.

Dick Reger grew up in Soldotna in the 1950s, around waffles and winches at local landmark businesses his dad owned. Reger recently reminisced about the town’s early days for the Soldotna Historical Society.

Last month, Kenai’s cultural museum was revamped after more than 30 years of no changes. It now has rotating exhibits – including this month’s on Alaska’s Russian history.

After more than 30 years, Kenai’s cultural museum has been revitalized. The update is just a start for the museum’s educational endeavors.

The Kenaitze Indian Tribe recently celebrated the grand re-opening of a cultural heritage site in Cooper Landing. The site is one of the only places on the Kenai Peninsula for visitors to learn about the tribe’s history.

Three buildings in Old Town Kenai make up a key piece of the city’s Russian Orthodox history, and are some of the oldest structures of their kind in the state. The site gives a glimpse into what Kenai was like in the years following European colonization.

The small Kasilof Historical Museum recently acquired two maritime navigation lanterns from the Smithsonian Institution. The oil-burning beacons operated on the shore of Cook Inlet for over thirty years, aiding navigation into the Kasilof River.

Monday would have been Marilyn and Hank Every’s 68th wedding anniversary. Hank died in 2014, but the day still brought a commemoration of their life…

The Native inhabitants of the Kenai Peninsula before Western contact were masters at adapting to this land. Dr. Alan Boraas, anthropology professor at…