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1956 Map of Black River D-6

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Black River D-6
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The Yukon Flats dominate this 1950s interior landscape, characterized by a complex network of meandering waterways and seasonal wetlands. The Porcupine River snakes through the center of the sheet, joined by the Chandalar River and the Black River as they thread through the expansive Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This environment, defined by its shifting sloughs and numerous lakes like Sams Big Lake and Moosehorn Lake, supported a lifestyle of movement and subsistence long before modern infrastructure.

Evidence of local habitation and transit appears in the form of isolated outposts and seasonal routes. The Winter Trail provides a terrestrial link across the marshy terrain, connecting the vicinity of Shuman House and Joe Ward Camp. Further downriver, the label for Henderson and several cabins suggest the specific locations used by trappers, hunters, and indigenous residents who navigated these waters. The presence of Joe Ward Slough and Henderson Slough further underscores the importance of individual landmarks in this fluid riverine geography.