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1952 Map of Anchorage A-8

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Anchorage A-8
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The growing urban footprint of Anchorage and its surrounding military installations dominate this mid-century landscape. Just before the Great Alaska Earthquake, the city is shown expanding into outlying areas like Spenard, Mountain View, and the newly established Turnagain Heights. The critical role of aviation is evident through the development of Merrill Airport and the sprawling International Airport near Lake Spenard, which also served as a Seaplane Base.

Military operations define the northern and eastern reaches, with Elmendorf Air Force Base and the Fort Richardson Military Reservation occupying significant acreage. The logistics of the era are traced through the Alaska Railroad and the primary arteries of the Glenn Highway and Seward Anchorage Highway. Smaller, named locales such as Wilson Village and the Prison Farm offer a view into the specific social and industrial geography of the territory as it moved toward statehood.