1960 Map of Anchorage C-4

About this map

Metal Creek Glacier dominates the central landscape of this 1960 survey, serving as the massive frozen headwater for a network of drainages in this part of the Chugach Mountains. The map reveals a wild, unpopulated territory defined by high-elevation ice fields and the deep-cut valleys of Metal Creek and its tributaries. While no settlements or roads appear, the specific naming of waterways such as Coal Creek, Carbon Creek, and Friday Creek suggests the presence of prospectors and early resource exploration in these drainages. The complex topography shown between Cottonwood Creek and Ninety Creek provides a precise view of the glacial extent and drainage patterns as they existed in the mid-20th century, before subsequent decades of environmental change.