Artifact of the Month: April 2026

Dammit the Donkey

One large-than-life figure from our past was Dammit the Donkey, who lived on Prince of Wales Island and Ketchikan from the 1940s into the early 1950s. In two articles published in The Ketchikan Record in 1990, local historian June Allen helped popularize Dammit's story by compiling first-hand accounts of his adventures across Southeast Alaska.

As the story goes, Craig resident Bailey Sanderfer requested a pack animal to help move heavy supplies before their road system was developed. While awaiting transport on the mailboat to Prince of Wales Island, Dammit stayed temporarily in Ketchikan with the family of famed bush pilot Bob Ellis. When he finally arrived in Craig, the town reportedly held a celebration to welcome the unusual newcomer. Livestock like donkeys were, and still are, rare in Southeast Alaska. The region's wet climate can lead to health issues such as hoof rot, and suitable feed does not grow locally. Even so, Dammit worked for several years hauling supplies. After his labor was no longer needed, he was sent to Ketchikan, where he reportedly lived with a few local families until his death from pneumonia in 1953.

Dammit's most famous misadventure took place in December 1951, when he somehow ended up in an upstairs apartment at the Thomas Basin Rooms. In a story later recounted by Otto Johansen in a 2021 oral history interview with the museum, the incident began as a practical joke against a man who worked at Cold Storage. When the apartment's occupant returned home to find a donkey in his living space, he was understandably alarmed. Attempts to coax Dammit downstairs with hay proved unsuccessful. Eventually, a group of men carried him down the stairs on a thin mattress pad. Dammit was unharmed and, presumably, returned to his owner soon after. While the story may seem improbable, photographer Paulu Saari documented the scene in a series of images for the Ketchikan Daily News.


Object ID #: (L-R)- KM 2003.2.63.899, KM 2003.2.63.900, KM 2003.2.63.896