Soldotna
is on the Kenai Peninsula, 150 highway miles south of Anchorage, at the
junction of the Sterling and Kenai Spur Highways. It lies 10 miles
inland from Cook Inlet, and borders the Kenai River. It lies at
approximately 60° 29' N Latitude, 151° 03' W Longitude (Sec. 32, T005N,
R010W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Kenai Recording
District. The area encompasses 7 sq. miles of land and 1 sq. miles of
water.
The Peninsula has historically been the home to Kenaitze Indians, and
was developed by non-Natives for its rich resources, including fish,
timber and oil. Soldotna was named for a nearby stream; it is a Russian
word meaning "soldier." Others believe it is derived from an Indian word
meaning "stream fork." The first homesteaders were World War II
veterans, given a 90-day preference over non-veterans in selecting and
filing for property in 1947. That same year, the Sterling Highway
right-of-way was constructed from Cooper Landing to Kenai. Soldotna was
the site for the bridge crossing the Kenai River. A post office opened
in 1949, with stores and a community center shortly thereafter. Soldotna
continued to develop because of its strategic location at the
Sterling-Kenai Spur Highway junction. In 1957, oil was discovered in the
Swanson River region, bringing new growth and development. Soldotna was
incorporated as a city in 1960.
