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1962 Map of Anchorage

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Anchorage
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Anchorage and its surrounding wilderness are shown here in the early 1960s, a period of transition for the region's transport and industry. The Alaska Railroad and Glenn Highway serve as the primary conduits for commerce, connecting the urban center to outlying coal and gold mining districts like Sutton and Jonesville. Further north, the Independence Mine State Historical Park and the Premier Mine reflect the area’s extractive heritage near the Talkeetna Mountains.

Glacial activity is a dominant feature of this landscape, with the massive Matanuska Glacier and Columbia Glacier carving the coastal and mountain terrain. Military installations including Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson occupy strategic positions along Knik Arm, while the southern reaches of the map show the small settlements of Hope, Girdwood, and Bird nestled against the waters of Turnagain Arm.