1955 Map of Baird Mountains A-1

About this map

The Kobuk River dominates this mid-century Alaskan landscape, winding through a complex network of wetlands and tributaries. The river's path is defined by sharp bends and oxbows, joined by the Tutuksuk River and Salmon River from the north, and Nigeruk Creek from the south. This area, located within the Kateel River Meridian, shows a wilderness before permanent infrastructure, where the land is characterized by shifting hydrology and the surprising presence of the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes in the southeast. Triangulation stations like VABM 285 Kalig and VABM 353 Nigeruk provided the essential control points for the Geological Survey to map this unsurveyed territory using 1955 aerial photography. The absence of roads or trails emphasizes the reliance on the river systems for movement through the interior during this era.