1951 Map of Brooks

About this map

Brooks Range peaks and high-latitude drainage basins define this reconnaissance-level survey of Alaska's northern interior, compiled from mid-1940s photography. The landscape is a complex intersection of the Philip Smith Mountains and the Endicott Mountains, where the Continental Divide separates waters flowing toward the Arctic Ocean from those feeding the Yukon River system. The northern slopes are dominated by the massive Sagavanirktok River and Itkillik River systems, while the southern reaches show the headwaters of the North Fork Chandalar River and Dietrich River. Mapping here was conducted in cooperation with the Naval Petroleum Reserve, reflecting the era's strategic interest in the territory's natural resources. The map also traces the administrative boundary between the Second Judicial Division and the Fourth Judicial Division, cutting through the high country where only the largest river valleys like the Ivishak River and Wind River offer passage.