#93 • Northern Commercial Co. Gold Rush Historical Ledger

Part of June 2026 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $1,200.00

Status: Sold

Category: Alaskana

A remarkable and unique historical record from Alaska's Gold Rush era, consisting of a massive business ledger from the Northern Commercial Company in St. Michael, Alaska, one of the most important supply and transportation centers serving Nome, the Yukon, and Interior Alaska. Handwritten entries throughout document transactions and accounts from the early twentieth century, capturing a formative period in Alaska's commercial development. According to the consignor, the volume contains entries involving E.T. Barnette and Charles Smith, the men credited with founding Fairbanks in 1901, together with references to Nome Station, military personnel, freight operations, and numerous maritime vessels serving Alaska's western coast. The ledger provides a fascinating glimpse into the commercial networks that sustained the gold rush and the thousands of prospectors, merchants, and explorers who passed through St. Michael on their way to the gold fields. The volume is titled "Ledger — Northern Commercial Co., St. Michael, Alaska" and was manufactured by Freygang-Leary Co., Blank Book Manufacturers and Printers of San Francisco. Interior pages are ruled in red and remain filled with numerous legible handwritten entries. The book exhibits expected signs of age and use, including water staining, soiling, and separation to portions of the spine, and should be handled with care. An extraordinary surviving artifact from one of Alaska's most important early commercial enterprises, measuring approximately 15" x 3.5" x 17" tall. Historical Note: Founded in 1868, the Northern Commercial Company became one of the dominant trading and transportation firms operating in Alaska and the Yukon. St. Michael served as a principal gateway for steamships supplying Nome and the Interior during the Klondike and Nome Gold Rushes, making records such as this exceptionally important for the study of Alaska's early economic history.