Marty Eaton fell in love with Kodiak Island during his first visit in 1957. Alaska was still a territory, to become the 49th state in 1959. The Navy brought him to this remote station, far away from the desert of Arizona where he was raised. After a six-month tour in Kodiak, experiencing the fishing and wildlife opportunities, Marty knew that he wanted to live and work in the Kodiak outdoor lifestyle. After speaking to some of the local fish and wildlife biologists, he was convinced that a degree in Biology would be his best opportunity for beginning a career in Kodiak.

Marty spent the winter seasons at Northern Arizona University (formerly Arizona State College) in Flagstaff, Arizona studying Biology. While attending the University, he met his future wife, Linda, and convinced her to move to Alaska with him after college. After graduation, they packed up their pickup truck and drove the Alaska Highway in the spring of 1964. There arrival was just a few months after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Kodiak and southern Alaska.

Marty secured a job working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a fisheries biologist – regulating and enforcing the commercial fishing industry in salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp and much more over a 20 year period. He also took a break from the Department in the early 1970’s to pursue a commercial Dungeness and King Crab fishing venture for three years.