Swain's General Store began in 1957, when logging truck operator & PA Salmon Club manager Cliff Swain and his wife Bee decided to start a retail business. They opened the 7,000 square foot "Cliff Swain Sales"store in Port Angeles, Washington, featuring military surplus, hardware, and fishing gear, with the slogan "tents, trinkets, tools, tackle and trousers". Not long after opening, Cliff became acquainted with other independent stores in the Northwest and realized the way to get the best possible pricing from his vendors was to join a buying group. Swain's was the 11th store in the Worldwide Distributors cooperative. Cliff and his store were active in the Worldwide organization of over 100 stores and he served as the Board President in the 1980s.

Over the last 57 years, Swain's General Store has gone through quite an evolution: when opened in 1957 military surplus, hardware, and fishing gear were the primary merchandise offered. Now, after two expansions in the mid-1960's (growing to 28,000 sq.ft. of retail space), adding a 12,500 sq.ft. warehouse in 1979, the acquisition of more property for parking in 1993, the building of a 6000 sq.ft. addition to the store front in 2000, and the latest expansion in the fall of 2014, which added 4,300 sq.ft., for a grand total of 38,300 sq.ft. of retail space on two floors.

Swain's tag line is, "Swain's has everything."  This is true and if they don't you probably don't need it.  A true general store with friendly staff.