Stock Photo - Pier pylons at the old Alaska Pulp Corporation site in Sitka, Alaska In 1959, the Alaska Pulp Corporation pulp mill began producing wood fiber from timber harvested from the Tongass National Forest under a long term contract with the US Forest Service The mill employed 450 Sitkans at peak, making wood fiber used primarily in the production of rayon fabrics and later used in paper manufacturing In 1993, Alaska Pulp Corporation announced the closure of the mill After repeated attempts to sell the site and mill, Alaska Pulp decided to demolish the former mill and donate the site to the City of Sitka In 1999, the City & Borough of Sitka officially took ownership of the site upon completion of demolition