Tongass Trading Company has been a fixture on dockside Ketchikan for more than a century, and is worth a visit anytime you are in Alaska. As stores go, it takes “Alaska big” as its measure: four stores boast the most diverse inventory of any other locally-owned business in the state, and it sells more Xtratuff boots and Alaska fishing licenses than just about anywhere else too.

As the oldest continually operating business in the state – since 1898 – Tongass Trading Company is a living symbol of Ketchikan history. Throughout the years, it has outfitted miners, loggers, fishermen, tourists, those who work in the tourism industry – and even locals needing a tux rental or evening gown for prom!

A visit here combines history, convenience, an amazing variety of goods and great deals. Walking out with an iconic red Tongass Trading Company bag – as approximately 180,000 customers do each year – serves as proof that you’ve discovered something notable, useful, or simply a bargain too good to pass up.