Some stayed to try their luck here. It was because of the surrounding mining activity that led to Ketchikan's incorporating in 1900. The oldest mining claim in the area and perhaps the first lode location in Alaska was the Copper Queen on Kasaan Bay, Prince of Wales Island. First discovered in 1867 by Charles Baranovich, it was reactivated in 1900 and worked until 1902. Kasaan Peninsula is still rich with copper prospects and the area behind the bay is rich in gold.
Stories abound of heartbreak, and hardship.
Just a few tell about striking it rich. One story tells about a lost gold mine near Tree Point, south of Ketchikan. In the 1880s a stranger came into town with a large quantity of gold. Ketchikan was a small trading post at the time and word spread fast. At night he tried to slip out of town but some men followed him.