Candle, Alaska

Candle
Populated Place
Candle City, September 30, 1903
Candle Location in Alaska
Coordinates: 65°54′48″N 161°55′28″W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Borough	Northwest Arctic Borough
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
Area code	907
GNIS feature ID	1412708

Candle (Qawiaraq Iñupiaq: Kialukuwik; Malimiut Iñupiaq: Masrutuuq) is an unincorporated community in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska.^[1] It is situated on the west bank of the Kiwalik River at Candle Creek. It was founded around 1901 as a mining camp, named for the adjacent creek. The post office was established in 1902.^[2]

History

Candle is the birthplace of prominent Native American actor Ray Mala.^[3] Although there was a hospital in Candle, Mala was delivered in an Inupiaq sod house by his grandmother and a niece on a ruthlessly cold morning two days after Christmas in 1906.^[4]

In 1908, Candle was the turnaround point for the first major mushing competition, the All Alaska Sweepstakes, which was started by John Skyles Beltz and Allan "Scotty" Alexander Allan, and ran 408 miles (657 km) from Nome to Candle and back.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	204		—
1920	91		−55.4%
1930	85		−6.6%
1940	119		40.0%
1950	105		−11.8%
1960	103		−1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

Candle first appeared on the U.S. Census as an unincorporated village in 1910.^[6] It continued to report until 1960.^[7] Although it has not been completely abandoned, it has not reported a separate population since 1960.

References

1. "Candle, Alaska". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
2. Geological Survey Professional Paper: Issue 567. U.S. Government Printing Office. January 1967. p. 179.
3. Dunham, Mike. "Book recounts career of The 'Eskimo Clark Gable'". Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
4. Morgan, Lael (2011). Eskimo Star: From the Tundra to Tinseltown the Ray Mala Story. Epicenter Press. p. 22. ISBN 9781935347125.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
6. "Supplement for Alaska - Population, Agriculture, Manufactures, Mines, and Quarries" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
7. "Number of Inhabitants - Alaska" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1960.

65.9133333°N 161.9244444°W / 65.9133333; -161.9244444