Artifact of the Month: August 2019

Mike Martin at the Sideboard

One of Ketchikan's earliest settlers and most memorable characters, M.E. "Mike" Martin, arrived here about 1885. With his partner, George Clark, he operated a salmon saltery and opened the first trading post in the area. When Ketchikan was incorporated in 1900, he was elected the first mayor.

Around 1900, Martin also opened the Sideboard, one of the earliest saloons in Ketchikan located at the corner of Front and Dock on the water side. By August of 1917, nearly a year after Martin's death, the Sideboard property was purchased by the City with the help of several local businesses. The building was torn down to widen the street for better access to the waterfront.

This month's featured artifact shows Mike Martin behind the bar inside what museum staff believe to be the Sideboard. Interior shots of early establishments in town are extremely rare and there are no other known photos showing the inside of the Sideboard in the collection.

Ketchikan Museums, KM 2017.2.8.1