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Ketchikan Alaska Vintage Retro Embroidered Cotton Cap - Black Logo

Ketchikan Alaska Vintage Retro Embroidered Cotton Cap - Black Logo

Regular price $32.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $32.00 USD
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The Ketchikan cap, for the town that is Alaska’s First City. An unstructured cotton dad cap with the Ketchikan vintage retro logo embroidered on the front in black thread.

The cap is the easiest Ketchikan piece to wear every day and the easiest to give: one size, breathable cotton, a curved visor and an antique-brass buckle. It softens with wear and stays on the hook by the door. Order one for the beach bag and one for the glovebox.

An unstructured 6-panel dad cap with a low-profile fit and Permacurv visor, embroidered with our classic vintage-inspired finish. Breathable cotton, a self-fabric hideaway strap with antique-brass buckle, a matching undervisor, and four-row visor stitching for durability. All colors are 100% cotton; the camo variation is 65% polyester / 35% cotton. Embroidery uses thread rather than ink, so slight differences from the digital product image are normal; full details are in our Embroidery footer.

Mike Martin built the first salmon cannery on Ketchikan Creek in 1885, and on August 25, 1900, Ketchikan became the earliest incorporated city still standing in Alaska. By the early 1930s thirteen canneries packed a million and a half cases a year and the town called itself the Salmon Capital of the World.

Creek Street’s boardwalk still stands on pilings over the salmon stream, the downtown is a National Historic Landmark District, Deer Mountain rises 3,000 feet straight behind it, and about 162 inches of rain fall every year. A 31-mile-long town never more than ten blocks wide is the mark on this piece.


QUICK FACTS — KETCHIKAN AK EMBROIDERED COTTON CAP

Town: Ketchikan, Alaska

Founded: 1885; incorporated Aug 25, 1900

Known for: Alaska’s First City; the Salmon Capital of the World; Creek Street on its pilings; the Rain Capital of Alaska

Art: Ketchikan vintage retro logo, black (embroidered)

Blank: Unstructured 6-panel low-profile dad cap, Permacurv visor

Fabric: 100% cotton (camo variation 65% polyester / 35% cotton)

Decoration: Front embroidery, black thread; four-row visor stitching, matching undervisor

Closure: Self-fabric hideaway strap, antique-brass buckle

Made to order in the USA


Made to order and shipped free in the U.S. More Ketchikan pieces, and the rest of Alaska, are one button away.



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Wear Local. Feed Local. Stay Classic.

Product FAQs

How does your sizing work?

Every item is made to order, so please check the size chart on this page before you buy. Women's fitted tees run small; size up for a looser fit. Caps are one size with an adjustable strap.

How are items made and when will they arrive?

We make each item to order using premium blanks, embroidery and soft-hand prints. Production takes 2-5 business days (weekends and holidays excluded), then 4-10 days in transit via USPS, UPS or FedEx to U.S. addresses; most orders arrive within 6-15 business days. You'll get a tracking link the moment it ships. Any current shipping offer is shown in the bar at the top of every page and applies automatically at checkout, no code needed.

How do I send a gift?

Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address and your own as the billing address at checkout. Nothing ships with a price; the package includes a plain packing slip. Tracking goes to your email, not theirs. For birthdays and holidays, order two weeks ahead to be safe.

What's the return policy?

Made-to-order items can't be returned or exchanged for size or color, so please use the size chart and photos before ordering. If anything arrives defective, misprinted or damaged, send a photo and your order number within 30 days and we'll replace it or refund you.

How do I care for my item?

Apparel: wash cold, inside out, with like colors; no bleach; tumble dry low or hang dry. Embroidered pieces: iron inside out to protect the stitching. Caps: spot clean. Printed glasses and water bottles: hand wash only, no dishwasher, so the artwork lasts. Mugs and engraved glasses are dishwasher safe. Any item-specific care notes are in the description above.

Who makes this?

Merlin Classics is a small Connecticut brand making original retro designs for the towns people love. Every piece is printed, embroidered or engraved to order in the USA, and the business supports hunger relief in the communities our collections celebrate.

The nickname, though, came from the map, not the paperwork: northbound ships entering Alaska from Puget Sound make Ketchikan their first port of call, and "Alaska's First City" stuck. What the ships found was a salmon empire. By 1936 seven canneries were packing roughly 1.5 million cases a year, and Ketchikan wore the title Salmon Capital of the World. All five Pacific salmon — king, sockeye, coho, pink, and chum — still run the local waters, and every August you can watch them climb the fish ladder on Ketchikan Creek in the middle of downtown.

Timber built the second economy. Sitka spruce from the surrounding Tongass — the largest national forest in the country, its regional headquarters right in town — fed sawmills and, in 1954, the big pulp mill at Ward Cove that anchored the town for four decades until its 1997 closing. Logging's showman legacy survives downtown, where the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show still runs axe throws and log-rolls for the summer crowds.

Why People Visit Ketchikan Alaska

  • Creek Street — the boardwalk on pilings, Dolly's House Museum, the salmon ladder, and Married Man's Trail over the hill.
  • The totem circuit — Saxman Totem Park, Totem Bight State Park, Potlatch Totem Park, and the Totem Heritage Center's unrestored 19th-century poles.
  • Misty Fjords National Monument — granite fjords, waterfalls, and New Eddystone Rock by floatplane or boat up Behm Canal.
  • The Tongass — rainforest trails from Rainbird to the Deer Mountain climb; bears at Herring Cove in late summer; eagles everywhere.
  • Town life — the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, waterfront seafood, Cape Fox Lodge above downtown, and the summer salmon derby.

Ketchikan Alaska retro logo with distressed bear and Est. 1959, Merlin Classics