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1950 Map of Big Delta

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Big Delta
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Big Delta and the confluence of the Tanana River and Delta River serve as the anchor for this 1950 interior Alaska survey. The landscape is defined by the Richardson Highway corridor, which links small outposts and roadside stops like Richardson, Buffalo Center, and Aurora Lodge. Military activity is prominent in the southern half of the map, marked by the extensive Ladd Air Force Base Bombing and Gunnery Range and the installation at Fort Greely.

Beyond the primary settlements, the map details numerous unnamed cabins scattered along the drainages of the Salcha River and West Fork Chena River, indicating a reliance on seasonal trapping or mining. Significant terrain features such as The Butte and Salcha Bluff rise above the alluvial Goodpaster Flats, while the presence of a Sled Road in the north highlights the era's specialized winter transportation network before modern infrastructure fully penetrated the wilderness.