1955 Map of Barrow

About this map

Barrow and the nearby community of Browerville anchor this mid-century survey of the northernmost tip of Alaska. The landscape is a complex network of coastal features and tundra lakes, where the Arctic Ocean meets the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea. Notable for its focus on cold-weather aviation and science, the map details the Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport and the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory, situated just south of the historic site of Nuwuk at Pt Barrow. Further east, the Plover Islands form a protective barrier for Elson Lagoon, while the interior is marked by significant water bodies such as Lake Sungovoak and the massive Dease Inlet. A winter trail snakes along the coast toward the southern reaches of the quadrangle near Nulavik, reflecting the seasonal travel patterns of the North Slope.