The History of Kotlik

Kotlik is located on the east bank of the Kotlik Slough, 35 miles northeast of Emmonak in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. It lies 165 air miles northwest of Bethel, and 460 miles from Anchorage. It lies at approximately 63° 02' N Latitude, 163° 33' W Longitude (Sec. 25, T028S, R026W, Kateel River Meridian). The community is located in the Bethel Recording District. The area encompasses 4 sq. miles of land and 1 sq. miles of water.

The community grew during the mid-1960s when a BIA school was constructed at Kotlik, and residents of the nearby villages of Channiliut, Hamilton, Bill Moore's Slough, and Pastolaik relocated. Due to its location with easy access by large riverboats and barges, Kotlik became one of the larger ports and commercial centers of the lower Yukon River. Many residents are descendants of Russian traders that settled in the area surrounding Saint Michael after 1867.

To Community Histories Index Alaska DCCED Community Database Online

History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development