Ketchikan Alaska means different things to different people. Some people enjoy Ketchikan Alaska fishing; others come to explore Ketchikan’s Native American culture. If you were to take a Ketchikan tour, you would discover that the arts are also alive and well in this quaint town.

Based on the number of festivals throughout the year, Ketchikan Alaska has been referred to as one of the “Top 100 Small Arts Communities in the United States.” Inspired by the scenic beauty and preserved history, many artists have made Ketchikan Alaska their home. Unlike the galleries in big cities, the artists themselves own most of the art galleries in Ketchikan Alaska. The Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council is the umbrella organization for the Ketchikan arts scene.

Ketchikan is 235 miles south of Juneau. It lies along the Inside Passage in “the land of the totem pole.” The city is situated on Revillagigelo Island and experiences a moderate, moist climate. In 1887, a salmon cannery was erected on the future site of Ketchikan. By 1936, seven canneries were in operation, producing 1.5 million cases of salmon. The community blossomed swiftly after nearby copper mining began in 1898. The city’s name is said to be a Tlingit phrase, “thundering wings of an eagle.”

Tongass and Cape Fox Tlingits have used Ketchikan Creek as a fish camp which they called “kitschk-hin,” meaning creek of the “thundering wings of an eagle.” The abundant fish and timber resources attracted non-Natives to Ketchikan. In 1885, Mike Martin bought 160 acres from Chief Kyan, which later became the township. The first cannery opened in 1886 near the mouth of Ketchikan Creek and four more were built by 1912.

The Ketchikan Post Office was established in 1892. In the late 1890s, nearby gold and copper discoveries briefly brought activity to Ketchikan as a mining supply center. The abundant fish and timber resources attracted non-Natives to Ketchikan. In 1885, Mike Martin bought 160 acres from Chief Kyan, which later became the township. The first cannery opened in 1886 near the mouth of Ketchikan Creek and four more were built by 1912. The Ketchikan Post Office was established in 1892, and the City was incorporated in 1900.

By this time, nearby gold and copper discoveries briefly brought activity to Ketchikan as a mining supply center. During 1936, seven canneries were in operation, producing 1.5 million cases of salmon. The need for lumber for new construction and packing boxes spawned the Ketchikan Spruce Mills in 1903, which operated for over 70 years.

Spruce was in high demand during World War II, and Ketchikan became a supply center for area logging. A $55 million pulp mill was constructed at Ward Cove near Ketchikan in 1954. Its operation fueled the growth of the community. The mill’s 50-year contract with the U.S. Forest service for timber was canceled, and the pulp mill closed in March 1997.

Ketchikan became an important trading community, with an estimated two-thirds of miners’ wages reportedly ending up in the bars and bordellos of Creek Street. Despite a mining decline, the fishing industry and timber operations began to grow with establishment of the Ketchikan Spruce Mills early in the century. In 1954, Ketchikan Pulp Mill was completed at nearby Ward Cove, assuring jobs not only in town, but in the surrounding woods as well. Today, the logging industry has nearly disappeared and Ketchikan is now starting to focus on another mainstay, tourism.