Deborah Fleming

Ketchikan has a reputation for being “the place where men and salmon come to spawn”. Before visiting Creek Street, the former red light district that’s now a tourist trap, I decided to mail a few things. My map showed a post office near the cruise ship dock. The sign was outside a clothing and souvenir shop. I walked in, followed the arrows that directed me into another store, and found myself standing among Kenmore washers, dryers, and refrigerators. It was Sears, and there was the post office. It was like a scene from the TV show “Northern Exposure”.

On Creek Street, I visited Dolly’s famous house of ill repute, with a sign outside that read “If you can’t find your husband, he’s in here”. Legend has it that Dolly set a goal for herself of not quitting work each day until she made $100. She charged each man $3. That’s 33 and 1/3 men per day. Don’t ask about the 1/3! You could buy a print of an original poster that read “Girls will be unavailable July 3-5 in order to attend the July 4th Policemen’s Ball in Juneau”. I followed a dirt trail leading off of Creek Street that took me behind some buildings and ended up at a waterfall and fish ladder. It was called “Married Man’s Path” and served as the back entrance to Creek Street.

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