Artifact Archive

This elegant fur coat, made of mink pelts from local Petersburg fur farms, belonged to Petersburg resident Caroline Westerburg (1904 – 1999), the cashier at the Coliseum Theater during the 1930s and 40s. The pelts were shipped to Frederick & Nelson, Seattle's premier department store at the time. Their fur salon was known for exquisite craftsmanship, reflecting the era's glamour. A hundred years ago fur farming was a big business in Alaska. Southeast saw its first fur farm in 1901 and by 1929 there were more than 200 fur farms throughout Southeast. Demand for such luxuries began dropping during the Great Depression of the 1930s and during World War II fur farming was seen as a non-essential business, leading to its further decline.