The first European settlement on the island was established in 1799 by Alexander Baranov, the chief manager and first governor of the Russian-American Company for whom the island and Archipelago are named.
O primeiro asentamento europeo na illa estableceuno en 1799 o ruso Alexander Baranov, director principal e primeiro gobernador da Compañía ruso-Americana por quen a illa e o Arquipélago reciben o seu nome.