Walk west on Lincoln St for the walkway to Castle Hill. Kiksadi clan houses once covered the hilltop site, but in 1836 the Russians built ‘Baranov’s Castle’ atop the hill to house the governor of Russian America. It was here, on October 18, 1867, that the official transfer of Alaska from Russia to the USA took place. The castle burned down in 1894.
More Russian cannons and a totem pole can be seen in Totem Square , near Lincoln St's end.
Across Katlian St from the square is the prominent, yellow Alaska Pioneers Home . Built in 1934 on the old Russian Parade Ground, the home is for elderly Alaskans. The 13ft-tall bronze prospector statue in front of the state home is modeled on longtime Alaska resident William ‘Skagway Bill’ Fonda.
