Unique among U.S. maritime cargo operations, the Aleutian trade is and has always been carried on by small break-bulk cargo vessels, through severe weather, and a grueling schedule; not an industry for the weak, timid, or foolhardy. Contained in these pages is a history of the Aleutian trade, from the sailing vessels of the 19th century that transported salted cod, to the mailboats that for decades provided the region s only scheduled communication with the outside world, to the make-do, rough-and-tumble, seafood-driven fleet expansion of the 1980s, to the small but capable fleet of today. It is a history of small ships and the people who owned and operated them, set in a severe and unforgiving environment, and framed by an evolving marine resource-based economy.