History

The Pioneers of Alaska is a fraternal organization that gathers and preserves the relics and early history of Alaska; deliberates earnestly and works unselfishly for the betterment of social, political and economic conditions in Alaska.

Pioneers of Alaska was one of many organizations formed in early territorial settling days for social purposes to keep alive the memories of early trail blazers.

Following the organization of Igloo No. 1 on February 20, 1907 in Nome, Igloo No. 2 was formed on June 1907 in Candle, and Igloo No. 3 in St. Michael. the Igloos convened in Nome on August 4, 1908, to create the Grand Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska.  

The purpose of the Grand Igloo is to unite Alaska’s Pioneers in a permanent organization.  The object, quoting the Constitution, is to “preserve the names of all of Alaska’s pioneers on its rolls; to collect and preserve the literature and incidents of Alaska’s history, and to promote the best interests of Alaska.”

This group was not the only of its kind in the North.  Perhaps the first was the Sons of the Northwest established in Sitka in March 1887.  The Sitka club remained local and did not spread to other communities.  

Others that may be considered local in nature were the Order of the Alaska Moose, no connection to the Loyal Order of Moose, which originated in Valdez in 1899; the Alaska Pioneers of Kodiak; and the ’87 Pioneers Association of Juneau.  

In the 1930s, the Yukon Order of Pioneers was formed at Forty-Mile, Yukon Territory, Canada.  This group migrated to Alaska with the followers of gold strikes.

Perhaps the most  unique is the Arctic Brotherhood, an organization formed aboard the Steamship “City of Seattle” enroute from Seattle to Skagway in February 1899.  

Because of the number of similar orders in Alaska and the Northwest, the Grand Igloo’s, adoption of the Latin phrase Ecce Nuvum Astrum, meaning “Behold the New Star,” for use on its logo is understandable.  

There have been 35 Igloo charters conferred since the beginning, rising and falling with the population centers. Currently active Igloos include:  Anchorage, Cordova, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Haines, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Nome, Palmer, Petersburg, Sitka, Seward, Valdez, and Wrangell.  

Nome Auxiliary No. 1 was given the first auxiliary charter in 1912, since that time there have been nineteen Auxiliary charters of which seventeen are still active.  

In 2007, the Auxiliaries were re-named Women’s Igloos and retained their Auxiliary numbers.