1951 Map of Blying Sound

About this map

The Harding Ice Field dominates the high interior of the Kenai Peninsula in this mid-century reconnaissance, its glacial tongues like the Aialik Glacier and Holgate Glacier carving deep fjords into the coastline. This maritime landscape is defined by the jagged interface of the Chugach National Forest and the Gulf of Alaska, where the shoreline is a complex network of peninsulas and deep bays such as Resurrection Bay and Aialik Bay. Nautical navigation of the era is marked by several key beacons, including the Cape Resurrection Light and the Pt Elrington Light, which guided vessels through the treacherous waters of Montague Strait and around the southern tip of Montague Island. The map records the raw geography of the Blying Sound region before modern development, focusing on the essential landmarks used by mariners and early Alaskan surveyors.