The La Conner Trading and Transportation Company was founded in the early 1900s by Joshua Green and others, to engage in the shipping business on Puget Sound.

The La Conner Trading and Transportation Company was formed in the early 1890s by four officers of the steamer Henry Bailey, Joshua Green, purser, Sam Denny, master, Peter Falk, mate, and Frank Zickmund, second engineer.

Green persuaded the others to leave the Henry Bailey and go into business for themselves, by purchasing the freight steamer Fannie Lake and a scow, for a total investment of about $5000.

Willey then joined with the four original partners and they incorporated the business as the La Conner Trading and Transportation Company.

Smith, Utopia, George E. Starr, and the sternwheelers State of Washington, Fairhaven and La Conner to the roster.

[1] The company had also expanded into the passenger business, buying the fast steamer Inland Flyer and putting that vessel on the lucrative Seattle – Bremerton run in opposition to the Athlon, owned by H.B.