Ketchikan is... When Industries Emerge
At heart, Ketchikan is a maritime community.
This is a place of building, making, and growing. As the fishing fleets grew, so did the businesses they depended on. Local hardware and marine suppliers, boat builders, bars, and boarding houses dominated Ketchikan's expanding waterfront.
With a community and its neighbors spread across islands that extend for thousands of miles, boats, are extensions of everyday life. Early builders began perfecting designs that were efficient, cost-effective, and made of the plentiful supply of local wood. These boats were designed to match the area's unique conditions, and they were in such demand that they were churned out in numbers. Today, wooden boats are a luxury, but in early Ketchikan, they were a necessity.
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