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1949 Map of Big Delta B-6

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Big Delta B-6
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Ladd Air Force Base Bombing and Gunnery Range dominates the southern landscape of this 1949 survey, illustrating the significant military footprint in the Alaskan interior during the early Cold War. The Tanana River creates a sprawling braided network of channels across the valley floor, meeting the Little Delta River near the edge of the military reservation. This intersection of natural geography and defense infrastructure is bridged by the Richardson Highway, which serves as the primary artery for local travel and logistics.

Small-scale recreation and settlement appear at Harding Lake and Birch Lake, where a Military Rest Camp (Aban'd) and a dedicated Recreational Area indicate the dual-use nature of the land. Roadside establishments like Aurora Lodge and Fox Farm Lodge underscore the importance of the highway corridor for early Alaskan travelers and homesteaders. Meanwhile, a Winter Trail cutting through the Salcha Bluff reflects older, seasonal methods of crossing this northern terrain.