Fish Creek Company in Ketchikan, Alaska is owned and operated by Hamilton and Karla Gelhar. Located on historic Creek Street which was once famous as the place where "both men and salmon went upstream to spawn." Creek Street still thrives, but now the boardwalk is visited by tourists from all over the world touring Dolly's House a famous bordello and browsing the very unique shops along Ketchikan Creek.
Hamilton Gelhar comes from a family line of small business owners from Wisconsin. Upon graduating from college, Hamilton joined the Peace Corps and lived in Kenya, Africa for two and a half years teaching business and computers to disadvantaged young women. Hamilton traveled from Ethiopia to Namibia in six months and returned to the United States with $100 in his pocket. Unsure of what the next adventure would be, Hamilton took a job as a traveling coat salesman for a few months waiting for a summer position in Ketchikan, Alaska.
A few days after arriving in Ketchikan, Hamilton met a young woman by the name of Karla. They worked next door to each other and began a friendship. The friendship grew beyond picking berries, going on bike rides, hiking in the rainforest and beach barbecues and by the end of summer, something more romantic.
While visiting Skagway, Alaska Hamilton caught the photo of a lifetime. Three "black" bears, a mama and two cubs, were walking in a line; one black, one white and one brown. Black bears are similar to Labrador Retrievers, their fur can be black, white and brown. The capture of this amazing photo was the beginning of Fish Creek Company.
Fish Creek Company offers many unique items from Hamilton's photographs to fossil ivory jewelry, carvings of different materials, steel art, totem poles, scrimshaw, intarsia, Alaskan ulu knives, fine art prints, artisan soap, salmon leather and smoked salmon.
We hope you enjoy our online store.
Click Here for more information about Ketchikan and a map of Ketchikan, Alaska.
