Kosmos, Washington

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Kosmos, Washington
Flooded town
White Pass Scenic Byway - Sign at Riffe Lake Overlook - NARA - 7722839.jpg
White Pass Scenic Byway - Sign at Riffe Lake Overlook
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Kosmos
Coordinates: 46°29′46″N122°11′10″W / 46.49611°N 122.18611°W / 46.49611; -122.18611 Coordinates: 46°29′46″N122°11′10″W / 46.49611°N 122.18611°W / 46.49611; -122.18611
Established1891
Razed and flooded1968
Named for Greek term meaning "universe"

Kosmos (CAUSE-muss) was an unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington, southwest of Glenoma and is now considered a flooded town. [1] [2] Kosmos is named from a Greek term meaning "the world or universe as an embodiment of order and harmony". [3]

Contents

History

The town officially began in 1891 under the name, Fulton, after Homer Fulton, the first postmaster. [4] The site would change its moniker to Kosmos [lower-alpha 1] in 1903, chosen by the wife of B.W. Coiner, a homesteader. [4] [5] [6]

The town's primary economy was based on logging and sawmills, with mining for mercury also a principal venture. [5] The community was served by the Fulton Ferry before bridges were built to reach the area. [4] A school district and schoolhouse were begun in 1913. [7] At its most prosperous, Kosmos had a population between 500-600 people, two grocery stores, a post office, and a locomotive shop, among other amenities. [3] [4]

Flooding

Residents relocated from Kosmos, along with its neighboring communities of Neskia and Riffe, in advance of the completion of the Mossyrock Dam in 1968. Before the Cowlitz River rose behind the dam and formed Riffe Lake, contractors razed most structures, except for their foundations. Several bridges near the town were demolished, including Steffen Creek Bridge which was destroyed by experimental explosive testing under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. [2] [4] Periods of low water occasionally exposed remains of the town [8] [9] until 2017 when the lake's water level was dropped 30 feet, exposing the remains of the town since. [10] The remains can be accessed at the Kosmos Wildlife Area Unit, part of the Cowlitz River Wildlife Area, [11] and portions of concrete foundations, areas of logging camps, and remains of mills and timber factories are visible. [3]

Notes

  1. ↑ The reason behind the name remains obscure.

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References

  1. ↑ "Kosmos". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
  2. 1 2 Mittge, Brian (June 12, 2015). "Underwater Towns of the Cowlitz River: A Look Back at Kosmos, Nesika and Riffe". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Schreiber, Dan (March 1, 2008). "Legacy of Kosmos Reappears". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Pattison, Cap (March 30, 2002). "If Towns Could Talk (March 2002)". The Daily Chronicle. p. 1. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Lewis County - Kosmos". jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com. Lewis Co. WA GenWeb Project.
  6. ↑ "Changed the Name". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget (Vol. 21 No. 8). p. 1. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Consolidated District Success". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 21, 1913. p. 8. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  8. ↑ Green, Sara Jean (March 11, 2008). "Receding waters allow glimpse of lost logging town". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Welcome to Kosmos! Enjoy it while you can!". Get Lost magazine. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  10. ↑ Rubin, Will (May 3, 2019). "Tacoma Power Updates Mossyrock Residents On Riffe Lake Levels". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Kosmos Wildlife Area Unit". wdfw.wa.gov. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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