• Sitka Alaska Holiday Ornament, Edgecumbe Smoke, Crystal Glass Ornament Hanging on a Christmas Tree
  • Sitka Alaska Holiday Ornament, Edgecumbe Smoke, Crystal Glass Ornament Hanging on White
  • Sitka Alaska Holiday Ornament, Edgecumbe Smoke, Crystal Glass Ornament in Gold Gift Box
  • Sitka Alaska Holiday Ornament, Edgecumbe Smoke, Crystal Glass Ornament in White Gift Box
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Sitka Alaska Holiday Ornament - Edgecumbe Smoke

Sitka Alaska Holiday Ornament - Edgecumbe Smoke

$28.00 USD
$28.00 USD
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A snow-capped volcanic cone rising from the sea with a column of black smoke pouring from the crater, a rowboat in front with a wreath on its bow. April 1, 1974.

Mount Edgecumbe is a dormant volcano across the sound from Sitka, and on the morning of April 1, 1974, it appeared to be erupting. A local named Porky Bickar had spent four years planning it: he helicoptered seventy old tires into the crater, soaked them in fuel and lit them. A Coast Guard pilot flew over and found the tires, and the words APRIL FOOL stamped in the snow.

The prank made international news and Sitka has dined on it since. The mountain has not erupted in four thousand years and shows no sign of starting.

A town that would go to that much trouble for a joke is a town with time to think in the rain. The wreath on the rowboat is the only color; the smoke is the story.

The Mount Edgecumbe April Fools volcano of 1974 is the best prank in Sitka history: smoke over the Sitka volcano and a town that half believed it. This volcano ornament is an Alaska ornament and Sitka souvenir for anyone who knows the story.

Every Sitka ornament ships ready to give. Hang it on the tree, in a window, off a lamp, or send one to the person who misses Sitka most.

3-inch faceted crystal glass ornament, white-backed print, line-drawn in 1880s engraving style, your choice of white or gold gift box.


QUICK FACTS — SITKA AK CRYSTAL ORNAMENT — EDGECUMBE SMOKE

Town: Sitka, Alaska

Founded: 1799 (Old Sitka); present site 1804

Known for: Capital of Russian America 1808–67; the Alaska transfer ceremony of October 18, 1867; St. Michael’s Cathedral; Mount Edgecumbe

Art: Edgecumbe Smoke, original Merlin Classics engraving

Blank: 3-inch (76 mm) round clear crystal glass ornament, faceted gem-cut edge

Print: white-backed for contrast; red ribbon hanger

Packaging: white or gold gift box, chosen at checkout

Made to order in the USA



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Product FAQs

How does your sizing work?

Every item is made to order, so please check the size chart on this page before you buy. Women's fitted tees run small; size up for a looser fit. Caps are one size with an adjustable strap.

How are items made and when will they arrive?

We make each item to order using premium blanks, embroidery and soft-hand prints. Production takes 2-5 business days (weekends and holidays excluded), then 4-10 days in transit via USPS, UPS or FedEx to U.S. addresses; most orders arrive within 6-15 business days. You'll get a tracking link the moment it ships. Any current shipping offer is shown in the bar at the top of every page and applies automatically at checkout, no code needed.

How do I send a gift?

Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address and your own as the billing address at checkout. Nothing ships with a price; the package includes a plain packing slip. Tracking goes to your email, not theirs. For birthdays and holidays, order two weeks ahead to be safe.

What's the return policy?

Made-to-order items can't be returned or exchanged for size or color, so please use the size chart and photos before ordering. If anything arrives defective, misprinted or damaged, send a photo and your order number within 30 days and we'll replace it or refund you.

How do I care for my item?

Apparel: wash cold, inside out, with like colors; no bleach; tumble dry low or hang dry. Embroidered pieces: iron inside out to protect the stitching. Caps: spot clean. Printed glasses and water bottles: hand wash only, no dishwasher, so the artwork lasts. Mugs and engraved glasses are dishwasher safe. Any item-specific care notes are in the description above.

Who makes this?

Merlin Classics is a small Connecticut brand making original retro designs for the towns people love. Every piece is printed, embroidered or engraved to order in the USA, and the business supports hunger relief in the communities our collections celebrate.

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The American century kept the town small and made it essential. Alaska's first fish cannery opened here in 1878 and the boats never left — fishing remains the biggest industry in town. The territorial capital moved to Juneau in 1906, and Sitka answered with something more durable: the Alaska Native Brotherhood, founded on Katlian Street in 1912. The Navy filled Japonski Island during the Second World War, when the population briefly swelled to forty thousand; statehood came in 1959; the cathedral burned in 1966 and the town rebuilt it dome for dome, having carried the icons out by hand; and in 1972 the O'Connell Bridge — the first cable-stayed bridge in the United States — finally connected the town to its own airport. Every October 18 the flags still change on Castle Hill, in period dress, for Alaska Day — the holiday that was born here.

St. Michael's Cathedral (1848) was the first Russian Orthodox cathedral in North America; after the 1966 fire it was rebuilt to its original appearance, with the icons the town carried out of the flames.

Why People Visit Sitka Alaska

  • Visit St. Michael's Cathedral, the 1848 Russian Orthodox cathedral with its iconic green onion-dome and bell tower, the first Russian Orthodox cathedral in North America (the original burned in 1966 and was rebuilt to the original exterior appearance with rescued icons).
  • Climb Baranof Castle Hill, the bluff where the formal Alaska Transfer Ceremony took place on October 18, 1867 — the day the Russian flag came down and the American flag went up. Alaska Day is celebrated here every October 18.
  • Walk Sitka National Historical Park, the oldest federally designated park in Alaska (established 1910), with totem-pole trails through old-growth coastal rainforest along the Indian River — and the site of the 1804 battle, where a totem honors the Kiks.ádi leader K'alyaán.
  • Tour the Russian Bishop's House, the 1842 home of Bishop Innocent — the oldest intact Russian-built building in Sitka and a National Historic Landmark.
  • Visit the Sheldon Jackson Museum, the 1895 octagonal concrete building that is the oldest museum in Alaska, holding collections of Alaska Native art and material culture.
  • Stop at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall on Katlian Street, built in 1914 — headquarters of the civil-rights organization founded in Sitka in 1912.
  • See Mount Edgecumbe, the 3,201-foot dormant stratovolcano on Kruzof Island that frames every view of Sitka Sound.
  • Visit the Alaska Raptor Center, the nonprofit rehabilitation facility for injured eagles, hawks, and owls along the Indian River.
  • See Fortress of the Bear, the nonprofit rescue and rehabilitation center for orphaned brown and black bear cubs.
  • Drive across the O'Connell Bridge, the 1972 span that was the first cable-stayed bridge built in the United States, connecting Sitka to Japonski Island and the airport.
  • Attend Sitka WhaleFest the first week of November during the humpback whale migration through Sitka Sound — the festival has been running annually since 1995.

Sitka Alaska Merlin Classics retro vintage logo featuring bear motif and 1959 Alaska statehood reference