Ketchikan - History
Long before the Spanish came in the 1700s, Tongass and Cape Fox Tlingits used Ketchikan Creek as a fish camp, which they called "kitshk-hin," meaning creek of the "thundering wings of an eagle."Newcomers were attracted to the area by abundant fish and timber resources. By 1885, an Irish immigrant named Mike Martin bought 160 acres from Chief Kyan, acreage which later became the township. The first cannery in the area opened in 1886, and four more followed by 1912. The first post office was established here in 1892. Discoveries of gold and copper in the late 1890s briefly made Ketchikan a mining supply center.By 1936, seven canneries were in operation, producing 1.5 million cases of salmon. The need for lumber for construction and packing boxes prompted the start of the Ketchikan Spruce Mills in 1903, which stayed in operation for over 70 years.With spruce in high demand during World War II, Ketchikan became a supply center for area logging. In 1954, a multi-million-dollar pulp mill was constructed at Ward Cove, near Ketchikan. In 1997, the mill's 50-year contract for timber from the U.S. Forest Service was canceled and the mill closed.

Ketchikan is known as "Alaska's First City" as it is often the first stop on a cruise, on the ferry, or on a plane for visitors coming from the Lower 48. Native art and culture flourish here. Ketchikan hosts a number of festivities ranging from a Mayfest, fishing derbies and a blueberry festival to Ketchikan's famous timber carnival during the July 4th celebration. Native culture is celebrated during the Festival of the North in February. Also in February is the Taste of Ketchikan food and art festival. You can visit a totem park, a Native village, and galleries featuring many fine Native arts and crafts. Nearby Misty Fjords National Monument brings you into the heart of the Tongass National Forest with its spectacular scenery

Ketchikan - Wildlife
Wildlife viewing is available year-round in the area, particularly in the Misty Fiords National Monument and Wilderness within Tongass National Forest. Brown bears, black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, wolves, mountain goats, elk, moose, beaver, mink, marten, wolverines and river otters are common mammals. Orca whales, porpoises, Steller's sea lions, seals and sea ducks are at home in ocean waters. The unspoiled ecosystem also is habitat for large numbers of birds, ranging from hummingbirds and trumpeter swans to herons and bald eagles.

Ketchikan's King Salmon Derby:
Ranked with Alaska's largest, and is actually one of four salmon Derbys in the town, all getting underway in May or June. Entrants compete for prizes worth thousands of dollars.

Liquid Sunshine Gauge:
Graphically shows Ketchikan's 162-in. average rainfall—in feet. Located near the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau on the dock in downtown Ketchikan.

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