1955 Map of Beechey Point

About this map

Prudhoe Bay and the surrounding Arctic coastline are captured here in the mid-1950s, a period prior to the massive infrastructure expansion of the Alaskan oil era. The landscape is defined by the complex hydrology of the North Slope, where the Sagavanirktok River, Kuparuk River, and Shaviovik River flow north through a network of lakes and tundra toward the Beaufort Sea. Evidence of early human presence and navigation is visible in several isolated cabins and the Winter Trail that cuts across the frozen terrain. Critical early aviation markers like the Aerodrome near Oliktok Pt and the Landing Area at Deadhorse suggest the area's emerging strategic and logistical importance. The map details numerous offshore features such as the Jones Islands and the Midway Islands, which provided shelter for coastal travel along this remote stretch of the Arctic Ocean.