1956 Map of Black River

About this map

John Herberts Village and Salmon Village sit along the high northern waterways of this interior Alaskan landscape, where the Arctic Circle bisects a network of rivers and sloughs. This mid-1950s survey captures a region defined by seasonal water patterns and traditional river navigation, featuring the wide curves of the Porcupine River and the complex drainage of the Black River. The map documents localized hubs of activity like John Roberts Cabin and Doghouse Cabin, which served as vital landmarks in the roadless wilderness. The terrain is punctuated by distinctive peaks such as Frozen Calf Mountain, Steamboat Mountain, and Vacahanyande Mountain, which rise above a vast expanse of muskeg, sloughs like Rotten Fish Slough, and numerous named water bodies including Cow and Calf Moose Lake. Along the eastern margin, the United States Canada border marks the transition toward the Yukon territory.