It exists cause Russia settled Alaska including a fort in the panhandle. There was treaty with British in 1825 that established the boundary of panhandle (but w

It exists cause Russia settled Alaska including a fort in the panhandle. There was treaty with British in 1825 that established the boundary of panhandle (but was very ambiguous for landward side). Russia then sold Alaska to the US in 1867. The landward boundary had to be decided in 1903.