Endless Ribbon

It rains a lot in Ketchikan. This place gets an average of 153 inches of rain every year. But all that water tends to keep away temperature extremes. The coldest it’s ever been here is one degree below zero, and the record high is 89 degrees Fahrenheit. Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles. They’re all over the city, but most are in Saxman Totem Park, Totem Bight State Park, Potlatch Park, and the Totem Heritage Center. The first fish cannery opened here in 1886. By 1936 there were seven canneries in operation, producing 1.5 million cases of salmon per year. So what does the name “Ketchikan” mean? It depends on whom you ask. Most people agree it comes from a word in the Tlingit language. Some say it means “the spread wings of an eagle” and others think it refers to “the sound of thunder” or “white spots on a salmon.”