On May 31, 1899, the rail road tycoon, Edward Harriman, led an expedition of over 100 scientists, naturalists, and artists on a 2 month long, 9000 mile voyage along the coast of Alaska. We can only guess why, but on the return of the Harriman party at the end of July, Ridgway took his own voyage over the first part of their route, going as far as Sitka, Dyea and Glacier Bay with a stop in Fort Wrangle on his way back. Several of his photos are extremely similar to those taken by Edward S Curtis and others with the Harriman party, probably because they were taken to the same locations by local "tour guides". Tourism appears to have already become an important business in Alaska by the end of the 19th century. In photo #0041 of the Sitka Trading Post there is a sign visible on the far right side of the image. The wording on the sign reads, "No Tourist should leave without one of the celebrated Alaska Crab Apple Canes, Alaska views, etc."