A sawmill and other supplies were loaded on rafts and dragged ashore. The "SS Tongass" would be the only steamer into Pelican for the next few years with supplies but not on regular basis. The first building erected ashore had a dual purpose. It housed a Finnish steam bath on one side and on the other a store and offices for the new corporation. During this time, Pelican was often referred to as "Finn Town". The town started looking like a town when the Paddocks and Raatikainen built homes. Arthur Silverman arrived from Sitka with lumber, beer and a license to operate a beer parlor and soon was open for business. The expense of building a cold storage, acquiring diesel engines, building a water and electric system left the company short of money. Raatikainen went to Seattle and raised money, but it was never enough. The town continued to grow, because the depression left little winter work elsewhere. Fishermen and others were willing to take food, tobacco and stock in the company for their work. There was a major setback when the bathhouse caught fire and the only available fire equipment was a few buckets of salt water brought up from the beach. The bath/store building was quickly replaced and would later become home to Pelican's first school. One of the first major construction sites was a two-story multipurpose building. On the first floor a kitchen and mess hall occupied one end with the office, store and later the post office on the other side. The upper floor was used for a bunkhouse. This building's second floor is still used as a bunkhouse. Gus Savela, a Finn and Alaskan fish buyer with engineering experience, oversaw the building of the dam. With the sawmill that had arrived on the "Tongass", the Paddock brothers built the wharf, fish house and started the boardwalk. When the summer fishing season began, the men left to work other jobs or fish their boats and even Raatikainen had to take his scows to their summer stations. Work slowed in 1939, when the Navy began building a base on Japonski Island and outside jobs became available. Even so, a post office under the name "Pelican" was established on November 27, 1939 with Bob DeArmond as first postmaster. Pelican's school opened with Arvo Wahto, of Douglas, becoming its first teacher. He would teach two generations of children before retiring in the 60's.