Fort Conger

Fort Conger
Grinnell Land, Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic
Fort Conger in May 1883
Fort Conger is located in Nunavut
Fort Conger
Fort Conger
Coordinates81°45′N 64°45′W / 81.750°N 64.750°W / 81.750; -64.750 (Fort Conger)[1]
TypeScientific research post
Site information
OperatorUnited States Army Signal Corps
Site history
BuiltAugust 1881 (143 years ago) (1881-08)
In use1881–1935
MaterialsWooden boards; tar paper
EventsLady Franklin Bay Expedition

Fort Conger is a former settlement, military fortification, and scientific research post in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It was established in 1881 as an Arctic exploration camp,[2] notable as the site of the first major northern polar region scientific expedition,[3] the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, led by Adolphus Greely as part of the United States government's contribution to the First International Polar Year. It was later occupied by Robert Peary during some of his Arctic expeditions.

Fort Conger is located on the northern shore of Lady Franklin Bay in Grinnell Land, northeastern Ellesmere Island within Quttinirpaaq National Park. Bellot Island lies across from Fort Conger within Discovery Harbour. Though lacking in timber, the area is characterized by grasses and sedges. The surroundings are rugged and boast high cliffs around the harbour. Now uninhabited,[4] it is one of only a handful of previously staffed stations in the Queen Elizabeth Islands. In 1991, some of the structures at Fort Conger were designated as Classified Federal Heritage Buildings.[5]

  1. ^ "Fort Conger". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ "PEARY IS AT FORT CONGER" (PDF). The New York Times. November 10, 1900. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  3. ^ George, Jane (4 August 2000). "Fort Conger: old tales of futility and desperation". Nunatsiaq News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Lady Franklin Bay". The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. bartleby.com. 2000. Archived from the original on 2005-11-27. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  5. ^ "Quttinirpaaq National Park of Canada". pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 27 February 2010.