Douglas, Alaska is an area on Douglas Island

Douglas Island

Douglas Island is a tidal island in the U.S. state of Alaska, just west of downtown Juneau and east of Admiralty Island. It is separated from mainland Juneau by the Gastineau Channel. The Juneau-Douglas Bridge, connecting the island with Juneau, provides a two lane road to and from the island and...

 in southeastern Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

. It
originated in 1881 as a place providing services to miners of the nearby Treadwell gold mine

Treadwell gold mine

The Treadwell gold mine was the largest mine of the Alaskan Panhandle and, in its time, the largest gold mine in the world. During its operation from 1881 to 1922 over 3 million troy ounces of gold were extracted. The mine was owned and operated by John Treadwell , from whom it derives its name...

, and was incorporated as a city in 1902. Douglas was once a larger town than neighboring Juneau

Juneau, Alaska

The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...

, but dwindled in the early 1900s as mining activity moved to other locations. Today Douglas is a residential community on Douglas Island and is legally a part of the City and Borough of Juneau. It is connected to Juneau, which is on the Alaska mainland, by a bridge over the Gastineau Channel

Gastineau Channel

Gastineau Channel is a channel between the mainland of the U.S. state of Alaska and Douglas Island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska. It separates Juneau on the mainland side from Douglas , on Douglas Island. The first European to sight the channel was Joseph Whidbey early in...

 that separates them.

Some historical reports indicate an early settler to the area may be credited for the naming of Douglas Island (Douglas A. Laska).

The Alaska Department of Corrections

Alaska Department of Corrections

The Department of Corrections of the state of Alaska is an agency of the state government responsible for corrections. The Department manages institutions, parole and probation. The current commissioner is Joe Schimdt...

has its headquarters in Douglas.

Population of Douglas before absorption

Year	Population
1910	1,722
1920	919
1930	593
1940	522
1950	699
1960	1,042
1970	1,243