1956 Map of Black River B-4

About this map

The Black River meanders through an intricate landscape of oxbow lakes and wetlands in the northeastern Alaskan interior. Surveyed in the mid-1950s, this area is defined by its complex hydrology, where the river creates a wide floodplain filled with features like Salmon Slough. Notable water bodies such as Birch Lake and Tommy Lake sit among the myriad of unnamed ponds and marshes that characterize the Yukon-Koyukuk region. In the southeast corner, a small cluster of Cabins represents a rare point of human infrastructure in this wilderness, likely serving as seasonal shelter for trapping or hunting. The map illustrates a world where water dictates movement and settlement, largely untouched by the roads or established towns found further south.