The Whitehorse Star, May 8, 1969

PIONEER COMPANY CLOSES STORE

After 42 years in Whitehorse, and more than 100 in the north, the Northern Commercial Company Limited announced today that it will close its Whitehorse department store as of this Saturday. When the key is turned in the lock at 5:30 it will be for the last time.

In announcing the closure, Volney Richmond Jr., company president said the merchandise inventory here has been sold to Hougen's Limited.

Sales of the Whitehorse store does not effect the operation of the Dawson or Mayo stores, nor the machinery division here, which will continue to be the company's major activity in the area.

Northern Commercial had its beginnings in the Yukon in August, 1874 when the Fort Reliance post was started, six miles from where Dawson City was to be situated with trader Jack McQuesten in charge, assisted by Frank Bonfield.

The Alaska Commercial Company began in 1868, one year after the Alaskan Purchase by the United States from Russia, and their first base was at St. Michael on the Yukon River.

By 1898 the company had a fleet of seven sternwheelers on the river and a two-storey log building was headquarters in Dawson on Front Street.

This year, NC company is building a new $4 million department store in Anchorage, has recently opened a new store in Kenai, the fastest growing city in Alaska because of oil developments, and is rapidly expanding with machinery and associated equipment to fill the needs of the activities in oil exploration at the North Slope.

Rolf Hougen said today the Northern Commercial inventory valued at approximately $300,000 will be moved to the company's Main Street premises next week. The surplus stock will be disposed of in several major sales to reduce Hougen's inventory in the next few weeks.

No information as to future plans for the First Avenue Northern Commercial building was available today. Mr. Beck, NC manager of the mercantile division is arriving from Seattle this weekend and is expected to make an announcement regarding that property and the Main and Third location, formerly Northern Commercial Company's Whitehorse Motors, where plans to construct a modern new department store had been announced earlier.