Alaska's State Seal
In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States, and for nearly fifty
years the region was known as the District of Alaska. While Alaska was
still a district, the first governor designated a seal of the district.
This seal featured icebergs, northern lights, igloos and an Eskimo ice
fishing. In 1910, this seal was replaced with a design more representative
of the state's industrial and natural wealth. Today, this seal, created
by an "unnamed draftsman," is the state seal of Alaska. The rays above
the mountains represent the famous Alaskan northern lights. The smelter
symbolizes mining, the train stands for Alaska's railroads, and ships denote
transportation by sea. The trees pictured in the seal symbolize Alaska's
wealth of timber, and the farmer, his horse, and the three shocks of wheat
stand for Alaskan agriculture. The fish and the seals signify the importance
of fishing and seal rookeries to Alaska's economy. The state seal of Alaska
is a fine representation of the vast wealth of the forty-ninth state.