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1956 Map of Bettles

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Bettles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

The Arctic Circle bisects this landscape where the Koyukuk River and its numerous tributaries weave through the expansive Kanuti Flats. During the mid-1950s, Bettles and Evansville (Bettles Field PO) served as critical interior hubs, supported by the Landplane Airport and a Gravel Pit. The map captures a transition from water-based travel to early aviation, with the river systems defining the settlement patterns for villages like Allakaket.

Isolated outposts and resource extraction points are scattered across the terrain, including Gold Bench Mine and several remote dwellings such as Oscars Cabin, Black Jack Cabin, and Henshaw Cabin. A network of Winter Trails connects these far-flung points across the Jack White Range and Alatna Hills, illustrating the seasonal mobility required in this part of the Fourth Judicial Division. Large freshwater bodies like Sithylemenkat Lake and Clawanmenka Lake dominate the lowlands south of the Kanuti River.