Shop Local Kenai Peninsula

🕰 The Then: ~1960-1962 Dorothea’s Beauty Salon, Woodford’s Men Shop. Thomas S. Woodford owned the clothing store in the 60s. Then, in the early 70s, the building was home to Malston’s. In 1967, Ron Malston moved his family to the City of Kenai where he served as Store Manager for Northern Commercial Company. NCC transferred him once more, to Anchorage, for a couple of years before he decided to return to Kenai for good. He opened his own store, Malston's, in 1971. There was a Soldotna and Kenai Malston’s clothing store location for a while. The inset picture shows Malston’s Soldotna location in the early 80s. “My earliest memory of Malston’s was hiding under the circular metal clothing racks from my Grandma Pat. I’m thankful that didn’t stop her from buying me my first pair of Hush Puppies.” (Sara Hondel)

☘️ The Now: 2019 Sweeney’s Clothing Store. Mike Sweeney has been an active member of the Soldotna community since 1979, even partnering first with Ron Malston and his family clothing store. In August 1988, Mike opened Sweeney’s in its first location, across, the parking lot where Kenai River Sportfishing Assoc. is located today (2023).

📷… Photo courtesy of the KPC Historical Photo Archive, Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council, and Exploring Alaska