1956 Map of Black River

About this map

The Porcupine River and Black River define this subarctic expanse where the Arctic Circle cuts across the landscape near Salmon Village. In the mid-1950s, this region remained a network of seasonal camps, cabins, and small riverside settlements. Trace the locations of isolated outposts like Joe Ward Camp, Shuman House, and John Roberts Cabin which are scattered along the major waterways and their tributaries. The terrain transitions from the low-lying Rotten Fish Slough and Salmon Slough to prominent high points such as Frozen Calf Mountain and Steamboat Mountain. Notable for its Indigenous and early settler history, the map documents remote clusters like John Herberts Village and Chalkyitsik during an era before significant modern infrastructure reached this corner of the Yukon-Koyukuk. The survey captures a vast hydrological system including the Little Black River and the braided channels of the Grayling Fork leading toward the Canadian border.