1955 Map of Barrow

About this map

Barrow and Browerville anchor this mid-century survey of the northernmost tip of Alaska, where the Arctic Ocean meets the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea. The map reveals a delicate landscape of permafrost lakes and coastal lagoons, including the expansive Elson Lagoon protected by the Tapkaluk Islands. Significant aviation and exploration history is marked by the Pt Barrow Airfield and the Will Rogers and Wiley Post Memorial southwest of the main settlement. Further east, the early footprint of energy exploration appears at the North Simpson Test Well and a Gas Well near Dease Inlet. This period reflects a time when traditional coastal sites like Nuwuk at Pt Barrow remained prominent features alongside modern scientific and industrial arrivals.