text: Boom and Bust. What's New in Alaska. Still attempting to pave, the same old bumpy road! Katalla was at the center of the now-abandoned Katalla oil field. This was the first discovery of commercial quantities of oil in Alaska (1902).   The town's population continued to depend on the small oil field for income until December 25, 1933 when fire damaged its refinery and operations ceased. Finally in 1943, the feds closed the Post Office.
  Merry X-Mas, from Katalla. Christmas in Alaska!