Fort Cosmos

Fort Cosmos (1885-1886) - A US Navy wintering station established in 1885 by U.S. Navy Lieutenant George M. Stoney, near present day Kobuk, Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. Named Fort Cosmos by Lt. Stoney after the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. Abandoned in 1886. History In 1885, on orders from the US Navy, Navy Lieutenant George M. Stoney, with 5 officers and 12 men in the 390-ton schooner Viking, a stern-wheel steamboat, the Explorer, and a steam cutter, the Helena, was detailed to explore the region. Lt. Stoney established the fort on the right bank of Kobuck River at mouth of Cosmos Creek. He erected buildings and brought in supplies to prepare for the winter and for a comprehensive exploration of the area. Seven exploration parties were sent out: Exploration Trips Out Return Leader Area 1 Dec 1885 18 Dec 1885 Lt. George M. Stoney Noatak 6 Dec 1885 12 Dec 1885 F.S. Nash, Surgeon Yukon 26 Dec 1885 25 Feb 1886 A.V. Zane, Asst. Engineer St. Michael 29 Dec 1885 7 Jan 1886 Lt. George M. Stoney Selawik basin 28 Feb 1886 6 Apr 1886 Lt. George M. Stoney Colville 10 Mar 1886 2 Apr 1886 Ensign M.L. Reed Hot Springs on Reed River 12 Apr 1886 Returned to States Ensign W.L. Howard Colville to Point Barrow Fort abandoned in 1886. Current Status No remains. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Kobuk, Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. Maps & Images Lat: 66.86667 Long: -157.3 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 108' See Also: Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 21. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1894398 Links: North American Forts - Fort Cosmos Smith, Philip S., The Noatak-Kobuk Region, Alaska, Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, Bulletin 536, Washington, 1918, Google Books, page 13-14. Visited: No