Kwik'Pak communities

OUr other fishing communitiesfishing on the Yukon River Emmonak

Marshall, AK
With a population of 414, Marshall is located on the north bank of Polte Slough, north of Arbor Island, on the east bank of the Yukon River in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.  An expedition came upon an Eskimo village called "Uglovaia" at this site in 1880. Gold was discovered on nearby Wilson Creek in 1913. "Fortuna Ledge" became a placer mining camp, named after the first child born at the camp, Fortuna Hunter. Its location on a channel of the Yukon River was convenient for riverboat landings. The community became known as "Marshall's Landing." When the village incorporated as a second-class city in 1970, it was named Fortuna Ledge but was commonly referred to as Marshall. The name was officially changed to Marshall in 1984. Marshall is a traditional Yup'ik Eskimo village. Currently, 40 residents hold commercial fishing permits, and 20 residents hold fresh water fish permits provided by Kwikpak Fisheries.

Pilot Station, AK
With a population of 568, Pilot Station is located on the northwest bank of the Yukon River, 11 miles east of St. Mary's and 26 miles west of Marshall on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The village was first called "Ankachak" and was later moved one-third of a mile upriver to a site called "Potiliuk." The old village site of Kurgpallermuit is located nearby. This village is a designated historic place -- it was occupied during the bow and arrow wars between the Yukon and Coastal Eskimos. A Russian Orthodox church was built in the early 1900s and is one of the oldest structures in the region. R.H. Sargent of the U.S. Geological Survey first noted the village name of Pilot Station in 1916. Local riverboat pilots who used the village as a checkpoint were responsible for this name change. Currently, 52 residents hold commercial fishing permits.

St. Mary’s, AK
With a population of 507, St. Mary's is located on the north bank of the Andreafsky River, 5 miles from its confluence with the Yukon River. It lies 450 air miles west-northwest of Anchorage. The City of St. Mary's encompasses the Yup'ik villages of St. Mary's and Andreafsky. A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Algaaciq Native Village; Yupiit of Andreafsky. Currently, 75 residents hold commercial fishing permits. There are two general stores and a regional post office. A 22-mile road links St. Mary's to Andreafsky, Pitka's Point, and Mountain Village. They are not maintained during winter months but are used by snowmachines. The Andreafsky River provides the only deep-water dock in the area.

Pitka’s Point, AK
With a population of 109, Pitkas Point is located near the junction of the Yukon and Andreafsky Rivers, 5 miles northwest of St. Mary's on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. It lies 3 miles by road from the St. Mary's airport. Eskimos who first settled there called it "Nigiklik," a Yup'ik word meaning "to the north." It was first reported in 1898 by the U.S. Geological Survey. The village was later renamed for a trader who opened a general store that was a branch of Northern Commercial Company. A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Native Village of Pitka's Point. Dog sledding is prevalent. All supplies are brought in through Saint Mary's -- there are no public facilities other than a school and washeteria. There is a 17.7-mile road connecting Mountain Village with the St. Mary's airport and Andreafsky, so residents have access to the transportation facilities at St. Mary's.

Scammon Bay, AK
With a population of 474, 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.  Severe easterly winds during the fall and winter limit accessibility. 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. The city government was incorporated in 1967. A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Native Village of Scammon Bay. Most residents travel 50 miles to the north to the Black River each summer for fish camp. Currently, 26 residents hold commercial fishing permits.