Northern Commercial Company

Northern Commercial Company. Historic Fairbanks. , The flag of Northern Commercial Company-a white and red banner initialed NC Co-was once as well known to Alaskans as the state flag is today., For many years the main store of the company did business from the Fairbanks waterfront. The story of the merchant empire of the company is closely connected with the opening of Alaska., Following the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, Alaskan traders purchased Russian interests in Alaska. The Alaska Commercial Company soon dominated trade in Alaska. In 1880 it had stations along the Yukon River at Anvik, Russian Mission, Andreafsky, Kotlik, Shageluk, Nulato and Fort Yukon. In 1891, the North American Trading and Transp[o]rtation Company (NAT&T) began to challenge the Alaska Commercial Company's pre-eminence. After the boom, the Alaska Commercial Company reorganized as the Northern Commercial Company. In 1903 the organization purchased E. T. Barnette's trading post in Fairbanks and built its flagship store along the Chena River. In 1922 the company was taken over by Volney Richmond, former clerk for the old Alaska Commercial Company and manager of the Fairbanks store., For many years the Fairbanks store generated electricity for Fairbanks, operated a machinery store, sold automobiles, washing machines, dry goods of all sorts, and prospecting and mining supplies, and ran riverboats and stage coach lines. It delivered mail to residents of Interior Alaska and even dabbled in telecommunications when it sponsored WLAY of Fairbanks, Alaska's first commercial news and entertainment radio station in 1922. The Fairbanks store remained the city's foremost department store until the early 1970s., [Bottom three photo captions] , Right: By the 1930s the NC Company had modernized its storefront with plate glass windows. Visible in the background are the twin stacks of the NC power plant., Below left. The view west on First Avenue shows the N.C. Co. store and post office in 1906., Below right: In 1917 the N.C. stage line deports with a group of hardy travelers.