In 1867, after the purchase of Alaska from Russia, a northern chain of trading stations, descended from Russian fur stations and trading posts, became an American enterprise. By 1954, the Northern Commercial Co. owned and operated 22 mercantile branches, six automotive branches, and seven heavy machinery branches throughout Alaska and the Yukon.

The Eagle store, set up in 1874 by Moses Mercier, a fur-trader, served the Yukon River trade. In later years, the post was operated by Arthur Harper and later by Jack McQuesten. In 1898, Eagle became an official city, and the store moved into a log cabin. However, the Company’s business fell off in 1902, due to the news of a gold strike in Fairbanks. But the Eagle store survived and was still in operation as a general store in 1954.

The Northern Commercial Company sold off various divisions in 1974, to Nordstrom and the Skinner Corporation of Seattle. Eleven remaining rural stores were sold in 1977 to the Community Enterprise Development Corporation of Alaska, which marked the beginning of the Alaska Commercial Company. In 1992, Alaska Commercial Company was purchased by a 300 year-old Canadian firm, the North West Company.

[From: Flag over the north, the story of the Northern Commercial Company, Kitchener, 1954, and “The unique and proud history of the Alaska Commercial Company,” online: http://www.alaskacommercial.com/AboutAC/AboutAC.html. Accessed 2003 Nov. 21.]