BOOM TOWN
Ketchikan in the 1950s
Ketchikan, the Fifties were years of promise, prosperity, growth, and change. The community's economy went through a major shift as the pulp mill came on line. Population grew by more than twenty percent. The face of the town was transformed by new streets and roads, new housing, urban renewal, and major fires in the commercial district. Compared to today, however, life in Ketchikan in the 1950s was simpler and slower.
Throughout the Fifties, photographer Paulu Saari captured the images of the notable and the mundane of Ketchikan life - businesses openings, construction projects, lodge meetings, dances and parties, sports and recreation, comings and goings, etc. Every photo in this exhibit came from his camera. Together, they tell the story of a remarkable decade in the history of our community.
