1950 Map of Candle C-6

About this map

The Kiwalik River winds through a vast network of marshes and oxbows in this mid-century survey of the Seward Peninsula’s interior. Mapped by the Army Map Service using aerial photography from the late 1940s, the terrain is defined by a sparse but vital transport network, including the Winter Trail and several stretches of Tractor Trail that provided access to remote drainages. Gold mining history is etched into the landscape through the names of various tributaries, such as Bonanza Creek, Gold Creek, and Eldorado Creek, which suggest the prospecting activity that shaped this region. To the east, the topography rises sharply toward high ridges cut by Hunter Creek and Quartz Creek, illustrating the sharp transition from the river valley’s wetlands to the more mountainous upland interior of the Northwest Arctic.