An Alaskan Tale of Community

(July 3) – I neglected to include a wonderful story we heard while in Ketchikan yesterday and I want to record it while it’s somewhat fresh in my mind.

As we were going by bus to the lodge down on George Inlet, we passed the Tatsuda IGA market along Highway 7. The bus driver remarked that the Tatsuda family is much loved in Ketchikan.

The family came to Ketchikan in the early years of the 20th century, he said, starting their business from nothing and becoming trusted providers of food and supplies to the townspeople. They extended credit to the hardscrabble folks who needed it to survive in such a remote spot.

Over time the business grew and the Tatsudas were respected contributors to the growth of the community. When World War II came along, the Tatsudas, because of their Japanese heritage, were sent to an internment camp in Utah, as other Japanese-Americans on the West Coast were being removed from their homes and sent to Manzanar and other camps.

When the Tatsudas were removed, the government took over their store. They did not, our driver said, manage it well and were “running it into the ground.” The townspeople decided to take matters into their own hands and took over running the operation. They also took responsibility for the Tatsuda’s home and its upkeep. It was, we were told, a sign of the respect and appreciation others in Ketchikan felt for the family who had always helped them.

When the war ended and the Tatsudas returned, the store was returned to them. In addition, the townspeople gave the family all the profit that had accrued during their absence. The market continued to operate and does so today.

In little Ketchikan, when asked what they do in winter, locals respond that they “drink a lot.” They have lived a rough existence, sometimes merely subsisting in an isolated and occasionally hostile environment. Through it all, they have retained their independent spirits, but have also learned the importance of friendship. They know the value of community.