From Wikipedia, somewhat paraphrased:

Ketchikan is the southeasternmost city in Alaska, the fifth-most populous city in the state, and the earliest incorporated city in Alaska. Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island, and is named after Ketchikan Creek which flows through the town, emptying into the Tongass Narrows a short distance southeast of its downtown. The name "Ketchikan" comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, Kitschk-hin, the meaning of which is unclear. It may mean "the river belonging to Kitschk"; other accounts claim it means "Thundering Wings of an Eagle". Ketchikan Creek served as a summer fish camp for Tlingit natives for untold years before the town was established by white settlers in 1885. The area near the mouth of Ketchikan Creek later earned Ketchikan a measure of infamy during the first half of the 20th century for a red-light district known as Creek Street, with brothels aligned on either side of the creek. According to the U.S. Postal Service, Ketchikan's zip code, 99950, is the highest in the country.

Ketchikan's economy is based upon government services, tourism and commercial fishing. Civic boosters have dubbed the community the "Salmon Capital of the World." The Misty Fiords National Monument is one of the area's major attractions, and the Tongass National Forest has long been headquartered in Ketchikan.

Ketchikan has the world's largest collection of standing totem poles, found throughout the city and at four major locations: Saxman Totem Park, Totem Bight State Park, Potlatch Park, and the Totem Heritage Center. Most of the totems at Saxman Totem Park and Totem Bight State Park are recarvings of older poles, a practice that began during the Roosevelt Administration through the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Totem Heritage Center displays preserved 19th-century poles rescued from abandoned village sites near Ketchikan.

Here are some pictures of our time spent in Ketchikan.