1956 Map of Black River B-3

About this map

The Black River and its major tributaries dominate this mid-century subarctic landscape, where the confluence of the Salmon Fork Black River and the Grayling Fork Black River defines a vast, undeveloped drainage system. Surveyed via aerial photography in 1955, the terrain is a complex network of wetlands and wandering watercourses, notably punctuated by the large expanse of Whitefish Lake in the southwest. High points in the topography are rare, with the prominent The Reef and the triangulation point at VABM Orange 2141 serving as the primary landmarks in an otherwise low-lying basin. The map records the interior of Alaska during an era of systematic USGS photogrammetric mapping, documenting the natural hydrologic patterns before any roads or permanent settlements were established in this specific sector.