The History of Scammon Bay

Scammon Bay is on the south bank of the Kun River, one mile from the Bering Sea. It lies to the north of the 2,300-foot Askinuk Mountains on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. It lies at approximately 61° 50' N Latitude, 165° 35' W Longitude (Sec. 10, T020N, R090W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Bethel Recording District. The area encompasses 1 sq. miles of land and 0 sq. miles of water.

It was known in Eskimo as "Mariak," and its residents were called "Mariagamiut." The nearby Bay was named after Capt. Charles Scammon, who served as the marine chief of the Western Union Telegraph Expedition from 1856 to 67. The name came into use when the Scammon Bay post office was established in 1951.

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