1955 Map of Barrow A-5

About this map

The Will Rogers and Wiley Post Memorial stands on this coastal stretch of the North Slope, marking the location of the 1935 plane crash that claimed two of America's most famous figures. Mapped in the mid-1950s, this remote landscape within Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 is defined by the interaction between the Chukchi Sea and a complex network of tundra lakes and lagoons. Transportation is limited to seasonal routes like the Winter Trail and various Tractor Trails that connect sparse landmarks. Along the coast, the settlement of Nulavik and the Loran Radio Station (Abandoned) reflect the mid-century intersection of indigenous habitation and Cold War-era navigation technology. Further inland, the drainage of the Walakpa River and Singarnaik Creek into Walakpa Bay dominates the topography, punctuated by prominent bodies of water like Kilusiktok Lake.