Alaska Forts

American Forts: West

ALASKA

Last Update: 05/OCTOBER/2012

Compiled by Phil and Pete Payette - Š2012 American Forts Network

Cordova Post
(1942 - 1946), Spike Island
A one-gun 6-inch naval gun battery was located here (mount remains) in Orca Inlet to protect the nearby Navy Section Base at Cordova. Several machine-gun pillboxes are still located at the airfield. Site is now owned by the U.S. Coast Guard.
(info courtesy of Colt Denfeld of the Coast Defense Study Group)

Fort Etches
(1787 - unknown), Hinchinbrook Island
A Russian stockaded trading post built by the Lebedoff Company. One side of the stockade was formed by an armed ship hauled on shore. Located on the southwestern arm of the island, probably at or near Etches Creek.

Fort Constantine
(1792 - unknown), Nuchek, Hinchinbrook Island
A Russian blockhouse/redoubt. Also spelled Konstantine. Alternate names include Fort St. Helens and Fort Helena.

Camp Valdez
(1942 - 1968), Valdez
A military recreational facility.

Fort Liscum
(1900 - 1922), Port Valdez
An Army post at the southern terminus of the Fairbanks-Valdez Military Road. Site is near the Trans-Alaska Pipeline's southern terminal, about four miles due south of Valdez.

Copper Fort
(1819 - unknown), Chitina
A Russian settlers' cabin and later trading post.

Gulkana Post
(1942 - 1945), Gulkana
A WWII Army post and airfield protecting the junction of the Richardson Highway and the Tok Cut-Off to the Alaska Highway.

Fort Batzulnetas
(unknown - 1848), near Slana
A Russian trading post on the Copper River, about ten miles upriver from town (east-southeast), abandoned after the garrison was massacred by Indians. An American military expedition in 1885 reported finding the remains of the post, the site of which no white man had visited in the intervening years.

Northway Post
(1942 - 1945), Northway Junction
A WWII Army post and airfield (Reeve Field) protecting the Alaska Highway.

Tanacross Post
(1942 - 1945), Tanacross
A WWII Army post and airfield located across the Tanana River from town, protecting the Alaska Highway.

Camp Tanacross (1961 - 1962) was a joint military winter training site for American and Canadian forces.

Fort Egbert
(BLM - Fort Egbert Virtual Tour)
(Eagle Historical Society)
(1899 - 1911/1925), Eagle
Originally called Camp Eagle City, located at the mouth of Mission Creek, to protect a supply center for gold miners. Five of the original 47 buildings have been reconstructed, including the non-commissioned officers' quarters. A Signal Corps detachment remained after 1911 to operate the telegraph and wireless radio station until 1925. Site operated by the Eagle Historical Society in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. See also Fort Egbert Alaska Ghost Town from Rocky Mountain Profiles.com

Big Delta Post
(1942 - 1945), Big Delta
A WWII Army post and airfield protecting the Alaska Highway.

Camp Circle City
(1898 - 1900), Circle City
An Army post that occupied a former local trading post for miners. A subpost of Fort Egbert.

Rampart House
(1869 - 1891), Old Rampart
A Hudson's Bay Co. post built on the Porcupine River to replace Fort Yukon. After a new boundary survey in 1890, the post had to be moved again. (see YUKON page).

Fort Yukon
(1847 - 1869, 1897 - 1898), Fort Yukon
Originally a Hudson's Bay Co. post, composed of three log buildings within a 100-foot square stockade, and a blockhouse in each corner. The Russians allowed (or did not fully realize) the presence of the British in this area, but the Americans came in 1869 and ordered them out. The HBC had already rebuilt the fort one mile away in 1864 due to erosion problems. The U.S. Army reoccupied the site in 1897 to help local miners.

Fort Hamlin
(1899 ?), Fort Hamlin
An Alaska Commercial Company trading post located on the south (or east) bank of the Yukon River, near the mouth of Hamlin Creek, about ten miles below the mouth of the Dall River, south-southwest of Stevens Village.

Camp Rampart
(1899 - 1901), Rampart
An Army post to protect a supply center for gold miners.

Camp Nenana
(1942 - 1945), Nenana
A WWII Army forward supply base on the Nenana River for other posts down the Yukon River.

Fort Gibbon
(1899 - 1923), Tanana
An American military post built for protection for gold miners. It was the headquarters post of all interior Alaska until 1923.

Fort Adams
(1868 - unknown), near Tanana
An American trading post located at the mouth of the Tozi (Tozitna ?) River. Possibly the same as Nukluroyit Station below.

Nukluroyit Station
(1868 - unknown), near Tanana
An American trading post built by the Pioneer Company about 12 miles below the confluence of the Yukon and Tanana Rivers (on Station Island ?) It was the first American post on the Yukon River. The post was bought by the Parrott and Company around 1870. Possibly the same as Fort Adams above.

Galena Post
(1942 - 1945), Galena
A WWII Army post and airfield.

Fort Nulato
(1838 - 1851), Nulato
A Russian-American Co. trading post was burned by Indians, then rebuilt in 1842. Attacked by Indians again in 1851. Originally called Fort Derabin, located two miles downstream. The post was probably moved in either 1841 or 1842.

The U.S. Army established a Signal Corps station southwest of here in 1921.

Fort Kennicott
(1866), Nulato
A post built by the Western Union Telegraph Expedition. Abandoned because the winter was too cold.

Fort Cosmos
(1885 - 1886), near Kobuk ?
An American military winter camp. Site located 130 miles up the Kobuk River.

Fort Morton
(1883 - 1884), near Noorvik
An American winter camp for early military explorations. Located at the mouth of the Kobuk River.

Fort Davis
(1900 - 1919 or 1921), Nome
An American post located at the mouth of the Nome River. It was built for protection for gold miners. American Camp Nome (1900) was located in town.

Nome Post
(1941 - 1946), Nome
A two-gun 6-inch naval gun battery was located one mile west of town near the end of Marks Army Airfield (present-day Nome Airport). The guns still exist, but the emplacement was damaged by the effects of nearby gold dredging operations.
(info courtesy of Colt Denfeld of the Coast Defense Study Group)

Moses Point Post
(Elim Indian Reservation)
(1942 - 1945), Moses Point
A WWII Army post and airfield on the north shore of Norton Bay.

Fort St. Michael (2)
(1833 - 1867, 1874 - 1886, 1897 - 1923), St. Michael
A Russian-American Co. stockaded blockhouse. Also known as Redoubt St. Michael, or Mikhailovski Redoubt. Attacked by Unaligmut Indians in 1836. The village was occupied by Americans 1874 - 1886, and a new post built in 1897 - 1923.

Fort Hamilton ? ?
(unknown dates), Hamilton and New Hamilton
The first fort was located on Apoon Pass about 25 miles from the river mouth. New Fort Hamilton was located on Kwikpak Pass about 20 miles above old Fort Hamilton. Both forts were local trading posts. The new fort may have been American (the North American Transportation and Trading Company).

Fort Andreavsky
(1853 - 1867), Old Andreafsky
A Russian stockaded trading post located 13 miles below the mouth of the Milavanoff (Andreafsky ?) River near St. Marys. Attacked by Indians in 1855. Abandoned before the American transfer of the territory.

Bethel Post
(1942 - 1945), Bethel
A WWII Army post and airfield.

Fort (Alexander) Kolmakof
(1832 - 1866), near Napaimiut
A Russian trading post originally called (Ivan) Lukeen's Fort, located about 200 miles up the Kuskokwim River on the south bank near the Kolmakov River, possibly located at or near Russian Mission (Chuathbaluk). Destroyed by Indians in 1841, a fortified blockhouse was then built by the Russian-American Company. Also called Kolmakof Redoubt. The post was later used by the Alaska Commercial Company until 1917. The site was fully excavated in 1966-67. The intact blockhouse was relocated to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks in 1929, where it was fully restored in 2011 at the University of Alaska Museum of the North (admission fee).

McGrath Post
(1942 - 1945), McGrath
A WWII Army post and airfield.

Camp Anchorage
(1919 - 1926), Anchorage
Established to protect the railroad that was under construction at the time. Located one mile north of town.

Fort Richardson / Elmendorf Field was established nearby in 1940. The main cantonment of Fort Richardson moved in 1950 to its present site, and the original post became Elmendorf Air Force Base. This is the headquarters post for U.S. Army Alaska and the Alaska National Guard.

Whittier Post
(1942 - 1945), Whittier
A WWII Army post. An AMTB battery may have been located here. The U.S. Army's Military Supply Terminal (1940 - 1960) was also established here. A few derelict buildings still remain alongside the dock area.

Fort Kenay
(1869 - 1870), Kenai
An American post with a one-square mile reservation. Also spelled Kenai. A replica blockhouse was built in 1967 close to the original site.

First located here was the Russian Fort St. Nicholas (1791 - 1797 ?), built by the Lebedef - Lastochkin Company. Alternate names for the Russian fort are Nikolaevsk Redoubt, Fort Nikolaya, Kenai Redoubt, Paul's Fort, Fort St. Paul, and Pavlovskaya Redoubt. It was attacked by Dena'ina Indians in 1797.

Fort St. George
(1786 - unknown), Kasilof
A Russian trading post located at the mouth of the Kasilof River, built by the Lebedef - Lastochkin Company. The Russian-American Company took over in 1799. It was burned down sometime before the Americans took possession of Alaska in 1867. Also called Kasilof River Post and Fort Kussilof. In 1817 it was known as Fort Georgiyevsk, probably rebuilt at that time with a defensive earthwork.

Coal Harbor Post
(1858 - unknown), near Kachemak City
A coaling depot used by Russian-American Company steamships.

Fort Alexander (1)
(1785 - unknown), English Bay
A large Russian fort (120-yards square, stockaded, with two bastions, and 22 other buildings) located near Graham Harbor. Also called Fort Alexandrovsk (1) and Alexander Redoubt. The community, also known today as Nanwalek, was the oldest Russian settlement on the Alaska mainland.

Fort Resurrection
(1792 - unknown), near Seward
A Russian stockaded blockhouse on Resurrection Bay.

¤ HARBOR DEFENSES of SEWARD
Seacoast Defenses of Seward by Andy Rhode

¤ Fort McGilvray
(Caines Head State Recreation Area)
(1942 - 1944), Seward
Batteries here are Battery 293, and Battery Rocky Point (1941 - 1943). A radar tower and several ammo magazines still exist. An Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery was on Lowell Point at Miller's Landing (1943 - 1944), which is located about halfway between the town and Caines Head. The AMTB mounts still remain. Fire-control stations and searchlight shelters were located on Topeka Point, and Chamberlain Point (state property).

¤ Fort Bulkley
(Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge)
(1942 - 1944), Rugged Island
Battery 294 is here. Searchlight shelters, a radar tower, and fire-control stations still exist here. Nearby on Barwell Island (Alaska Maritime NWR) are also remains of FC stations and searchlight shelters. Others were once on Patsy Point, Carol Cove, and Alma Point. Rugged Island is located at the mouth of Resurrection Bay, west of Cape Resurrection.

¤ Fort Raymond
(1942 - 1945), Seward
The headquarters garrison post of the Harbor Defenses of Seward.

Info courtesy of Colt Denfeld and Al Grobmeier of the Coast Defense Study Group.

Author's Note: Fort Greely (2) (1949 - present), and Fort Wainwright / Ladd Field (1940/1961 - present), near Fairbanks, are modern post-WWII military bases not included here in order to be consistent with the rest of the website.

NEED MORE INFO: Redoubt Creek / Redoubt Point / Redoubt Bay / Redoubt Volcano located on the western shore of Cook Inlet, across from Kalgin Island. Fortification Bluff located on the western shore of Cook Inlet at Tignagvik Point, across from Augustine Island. Fortress Creek and Fortress Ridge located north of the Matanuska River in the Talkeetna Mountains near Meekins Roadhouse.
Towns:

Southeastern Alaska - page 2 | Southwestern Alaska - page 3

QUESTIONS ? Please send any corrections and/or additions to this list to:
"Updates" at NorthAmericanForts.com