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| Northern Commercial's Anchorage store was a well- recognized landmark in the city until it was damaged in the tragic Good Friday earthquake of 1964. |
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| Northern Commercial operated from temporary quarters until its new store was ready in 1970. |
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| Northern Commerical's three stores were purchased by Nordstrom in 1975. |
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| "Alaska's Pioneer Merchants" |
Northern Commercial Company
603 D Street
Anchorage, Alaska
279-7622
Street Level
Fine Jewelry • Costume Jewelry • Handbags • Gloves • Hosiery • Accessories • Sixth Avenue Separates • Cosmetics • Women's Shoes • Stationery • Cameras • Luggage • Men's Furnishings • Men's Sportswear • Trend Shop • Men's Shoes • Work Clothing • Boys' Wear • Ski Shop • Sporting Goods
NC's Appliance Center (Sixth Avenue Mall under the Penney Garage)
Appliance Center • Home Entertainment
Second Level
Sixth Avenue Dresses • Dresses • Custom Corner • Mayfield Place Sportswear • Miss "A" Shop • Forecast Shop • The Gallery • Fur Salon • Bridal Salon • Coats • Suits • Millinery • The Attic for Jr.'s • Lingerie • Sleepwear • Robes • Infants' World • Children's Wear • Girls' Wear • Children's Shoes
Third Level
Fashion Fabrics • Art Needlework • Sewing Machines • Bedding • Liens • China • Silver • Crystal • Gifts • Housewares • Small Electrics • Lamps • Pictures • Carpets • Draperies • Furniture • Toy Town • The Friendship Room
(97,500 s.f.)
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| Fairbanks Second and Turner 1956 |
Kenai
1965
Coming in due course.
I just found your blog and I am in love. I'm a Dallas girl with fond memories of Sanger's, Joske's and Volk's. One of my proudest possessions is my NM charge card! Rock on!!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I just googled NCC because my grandfather, Lee Hart, worked at the Anchorage store for many years. He was there on the day of the earthquake.
ReplyDeleteI remember N.C.C because my late father worked for N.C. Machinery in Seattle and they must of still had a connection with them into the 1990's? Every January he used to fly to Anchorage to do Physical Inventory of their Anchorage Stores for N.C. Machinery and once a year he would order the best Ham for Christmas provided at a discount through the Alaska Stores!
ReplyDeleteI lived with my Father and Mother in the middle apartment over the store. My dad was Jim Stone and was the Sporting Goods Manager and Buyer for the chain. He was good friends with Lee Hart who was mentioned earlier. Lee would come to our place and play cards with my folks. We were also there the day of the earthquake.
ReplyDeleteMy dad loved the job and loved Alaska.
My great uncle Carl Hopfer was the manager of the NCC during the quake and for many years before that. He probably knew your family member. He and my great aunt Della also lived in the apartments I believe above the store or next to it.
DeleteDella and Carl were my great aunt and uncle also.
DeleteThey were my great aunt and uncle also.
DeleteMy
Deleteparents George and Alice McGhan knew them. Dad worked for Caterpillar and we lived above NC. We lived there prior to Statehood. I was 5 to 8 years old and loved helping my babysitters, the Lutz girls, clean the stairs. Later we returned from California and rode out the earthquake in Turnagain by the Sea.
My name is Cheryl Louise McGhan. 70 years ago I lived in the NC Apts. My father George McGhan worked for Caterpillar along with Cal Bashaw, whose children Jill and Winn lived their too. George and Cal built a giant playhouse, swings, teeter totter, and monkey bars on top of the roof. We also had 3 ring swimming pools. Our mothers, Alice and Vee, had multi-colored flower boxes which grew the most beautiful flowers. The roof was a magical place and I thought of it as a castle. Little boys would often chase Jill and I and try to hit us with their hats as we walked home from Airport Heights School. We would run through the NC store with them in full pursuit. Our secret trick was to find the stairs and go up quickly to our homes. The boys were always perplexed where we had disappeared to. We loved outsmarting them because of the store and secret upstair passage to our homes. If you look at the NC Bldg right side 3rd and 4th windows is where I lived but in my memory I thought the 5th window. What a wonderful place to live where I could watch the activity of 4th Ave from my window. I had a little, black pomeranian dog named Ace High Little Black Mac. He loved looking out the windows.
DeleteI met a couple at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show from Anchorage exhibiting Alaska gold nuggets and jewelry. As I lived in Anchorage 1963-65 was interested about NCC. I worked for NCC in the Accounting Dept., which was above the china dept., and was at work when the earthquake hit! Your site is so very informative and glad I found it.
ReplyDeleteIt was in 1975 when NC was bought by Nordstrom.
ReplyDeleteMy uncle, Earl Parsons, worked for the NC Company in Anchorage. He was employed during the time of the earthquake. I am not certain if he was actually there or in Seattle at the time. I believe he worked in the accounting department as that is the degree he earned at the U of Washington. His father (my grandfather) worked as the main accountant for the NC Company from the early 1900's until his death (while on the job) in Whitehorse in 1931. He traveled to all the NC sites either by train, dog-sled, or boat at all times of the year. Amazing to realize he actually did this.
ReplyDeleteHi Im trying to find information and/or a picture of an NC store in Tok Alaska that was there supposedly in the mid 1940s (it started due to the building of the Alaska Hwy) and was supposedly located in the old highway department complex. Do you have anything on that?? Geralyn gabbys@acsalaska.net
ReplyDeleteThis is all so interesting! My father, Matt Ward, was the store manager at NC in Anchorage and was there during the earthquake...
ReplyDeleteI recall the NC company building burned to the ground on New Year's Day several years before the earthquake. The event was quite a deal and it was broadcast live in black and white by KENI Channel 2 TV circa 1960
ReplyDelete|The NC Company burned to the ground on New Year's Day around 1960. It was quite a deal in the community, being broadcast live in black and white television, probably on KENI TV Channel 2.
ReplyDeleteInteresting article! My grandfather, Ralph Stefano was the general manager of NC for many years in anchorage...
ReplyDeleteI’m in anchorage today walking through the norfdstroms which used to be NCC. My grandfather Lee Hart worked and lived there prior, during and following the quake.
ReplyDeleteHi Im trying to find information and/or a picture of an NC store in Tok Alaska that was there supposedly in the mid 1940s (it started due to the building of the Alaska Hwy) and was supposedly located in the old highway department complex. Do you have anything on that?? Geralyn Curtis gabbyc57.gc@gmail.com
ReplyDelete