Italians in Alaska History

Driving the Steese Highway one will find a monument at mile 16 dedicated to an Italian gold miner named Felix Pedro (Felice Pedroni). Surprisingly, Pedro is not the only Italian who left an imprint on Alaska’s map. There are several other Italian landmarks found across Alaska including Malaspina, Sella, Caetani and Usibelli.

Over a century before Pedro’s 1902 gold discovery, Italian born Captain Alessandro Malaspina sailed from Mexico to explore Alaska for the Spanish crown in 1791. Italian American historian Russel Maghnagi writes, “Malaspina received orders to sail northward to the 60th parallel or the northern end of the Alaska Panhandle to check the possibility of the existence of the mythical Strait of Anian connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans…”Although Captain Malaspina did not find the mythical Strait of Anian, Malaspina Glacier would later be named after him in 1874 by Alaska surveyor William Dall.

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Malaspina Glacier is not the only Italian named Alaskan glacier. Quintino Sella Glacier was named by Italian Prince Luigi Amedeo di Savoia Duke of Abruzzi. In 1897 the Duke of Abruzzi climbed to the top of Mt. St. Elias and gazed down from the summit, he spotted a glacier that he named Quintino Sella Glacier.

Caeatani Lake and Caetani River were named by Professor W.L. Libbey of Princeton University in 1886. Professor Libbey named the Caetani Lake and Caetani River after the Italian Duke of Sermoneta a title held by the heads of the Caetani family. The Duke of Sermoneta was also the President of the Italian Geographic Society. 

Pedro has other geographic features named after him besides his1952 monument located on the Steese Highway. There are two other geographic features nearby his monument that were named after him back in 1903. Pedro Creek also found at mile 16 on the Steese Highway and Pedro dome located three miles off of the Steese Highway between miles 16-20.

Usibelli Coal Mine founded in 1943, near the town of Healy, was started by an Italian immigrant named Emil Usibelli. Usibelli moved to Alaska in 1935, but when he arrived he did not mine for gold like his Italian predecessor Pedro. Instead Usibelli found a way to become rich on “black gold.” Usibelli Coal Mine is now a fourth generation family run company.

Italians have made a substantial impact on Alaska’s history, the toponymics confirm this fact. This becomes apparent when observing Malaspina Glacier, Quintino Sella Glacier, Pedro Creek, Pedro Dome, Caetani Lake, Caetani River and the Usibelli Coal Mine. These Italian named landmarks reflect three centuries of Italian history in Alaska.

Interesting Facts:

The state of Alaska named a Juneau ferry the Malaspina in 1963. 

Quintino Sella (who the Duke of Abruzzi named Sella glacier after) was a pioneer of Italian Alpinism.

Prince Luigi Amedeo di Savoia Duke of Abruzzi was the first person to successfully climb Mt. Saint Elias. The Duke of Abruzzi also named Mount Bona (Alaska’s fourth tallest mountain) after his racing yacht Bona.

Further Reading:

Russel Magnaghi. “Italian Contributions To The Development Of Alaska.” Italian Americana vol.9, no. 2 (1991): 167–80.

Donald Orth, Dictionary of Alaska Place Names Geological Survey Professional Paper 567 (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1967). 19, 150, 173, 746, 788.