1956 Map of Black River

About this map

The Black River and its intricate tributaries dominate this mid-century survey of the Alaskan interior near the Canadian border. The landscape is defined by the complex meanders of the Little Black River and the Grayling Fork Black River, which carve through a terrain punctuated by isolated peaks such as Frozen Calf Mountain and Steamboat Mountain. Human presence in this environment is concentrated at remote settlements and fish camps, including Chalkyitsik, John Herberts Village, and the Salmon Village Old Salmon Village. Crossing the Arctic Circle, the map documents a region where transportation was primarily river-based or dependent on seasonal routes like the Tractor Trail. The geography of the Porcupine River in the north and the Chandalar River to the west frames an area of vast wetlands and numerous lakes, such as Tiinkdhul Lake and Whitefish Lake, essential for local subsistence patterns.