| Summary: | Caption on image: 114. Fort Wrangel, Alaska. Winter and Pond, Photo. Winter and Pond 114 Fort Wrangel, or "Wrangell" as it is now known, was settled in the early 1800s and is one of the oldest non-native settlements in Alaska. A fort was built by the Russian government in the area, and was subsequently held by the British until it was abanoned after the depletion of local resources in the mid-1800s. The U.S. purchased Alaska in 1867 and built a military post called "Fort Wrangell" in 1868. The community thrived as many travelled through the area to reach the gold rushes. Fort Wrangel post office was established in 1869 and changed to Wrangell in 1902. Today, the city is no longer a military outpost, and is known as "Wrangell." Wrangell is the only city in Alaska to have the distinction of being governed under four flags: Russian, British, the United States, as well as the Tlingit people who originally lived there.
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