Established around 1904 as a logging community south of Mount Rainier, the town of Kosmos was abandoned by about 500 residents when the Mossyrock Dam was built. The Cowlitz River rose behind the dam, which was completed in 1968, forming Riffe Lake and submerging Kosmos and a number of towns along the river. Kosmos’ remains are periodically exposed when the lake recedes during regional drought.
Trivia: Flooded Washington Town
on May 31, 2009
By American Profile