[1] A contingent of U.S. Marine Corps had been stationed from 1879 to 1892 in a group of barracks built by Russia in the 1800s, located at the actual site of Sitka Pioneer Home.

The parade through downtown ends close to the grounds and hundreds of people mingle at a free reception inside the home with live entertainment traditionally provided by the New Archangel Dancers.

A statue entitled The Prospector, sculpted by Alonzo Victor Lewis, serves as the centerpiece of the grounds of the Sitka Pioneer Home.

The smaller of the pair sits in Seattle's Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Pioneer Square.

After more than three tons of clay and 21 years of fundraising, the sculpture was finally shipped to Sitka in time for its dedication at 1949's Alaska Day.