Downtown Juneau in Juneau Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)

Waterfront Commerce

Sea & Sky: Juneau's Links to the World

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 2021

1. Waterfront Commerce Marker

Inscription. Waterfront cold storage buildings supported the fishing industry while warehouses stored the freight that came and went. All goods coming into town — from the nuts and bolts of industry to walnuts and bolts of calico — were offloaded here. Outbound steamships carried canned salmon, lumber and furs.

Juneau was the dairy center of Southeast Alaska in the early 1900's. Feed and hay were warehoused at dockside. Milk, cream and butter were shipped on small freighters to other Panhandle communities.

Although the rough-and-tumble, working waterfront has given way to cruise ship docks, commerce continues today. Barges stacked high with containers are unloaded at two points along Gastineau Channel. Commercial fishing vessels still deliver their catch here.

Tugboats, the workhorses of every working harbor, tow barges to and from Seattle and move giant cruise ships into their berths.

Captions
(Left) Handling fish dockside. The AJ stamp mill is visible through the doorway. (Early Prints Collection Alaska State Library, PCA 294-020)
(Right, top) Floatplanes and passenger liners were among the many commercial transports in Gastineau Channel. Lloyd Jarman Collection, Alaska State Library PCA 75-29)
(Right, bottom) A busy day at the Juneau Cold

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Storage, 1931. (Early Prints Collection, Alaska State Library PCA 44-10-052)
(Far right) Shipping label Juneau-Douglas City Museum Collection

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1931.

Location. 58° 17.947′ N, 134° 24.398′ W. Marker is in Juneau, Alaska, in Juneau Borough. It is in Downtown Juneau. Marker can be reached from Marine Way. Marker is on the Juneau Harbor Boardwalk in Marine Park, north of the cruise ship berths. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 144 Marine Way, Juneau AK 99801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Gold Mining (here, next to this marker); Passenger Traffic (here, next to this marker); Beginnings (here, next to this marker); Marine Highway (here, next to this marker); U.S. Military Presence (here, next to this marker); Floating Hangars (here, next to this marker); Local Airlines (here, next to this marker); Alaska Airlines (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Juneau.

Waterfront Commerce Marker detail (original) image. Click for full size.

via Alaska State Library, Early Prints Collection, December 1931

2. Waterfront Commerce Marker detail (original)

Dock scene at Juneau, showing a part of the Juneau Cold Storage.

Lloyd Jarman (via Alaska State Library, Lloyd Jarman Collection)

3. Waterfront Commerce Marker detail (original)

Gorst Air Transport’s Boeing Boat at Shells hangar, with Klemm on right side.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 2021

4. Waterfront Commerce Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 13, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 90 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 13, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2, 3. submitted on September 14, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on September 13, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.