1952 Map of Cape Mendenhall D-2

About this map

Nunivak Island dominates this mid-century survey, revealing a landscape of coastal complexity within the Nunivak National Wildlife Refuge. The southeastern shoreline is defined by the waters of the Bering Sea and the Etolin Strait, where the terrain transitions from inland dunes to coastal Mud and Boulders. Small settlements like Nakooytoolekmiut appear along the south coast, providing a rare record of human geography in this remote maritime environment. Landforms such as Atahgo Point and Cape Corwin reach into the surrounding waters, which are marked with numerous foul and shoal warnings, indicating the treacherous navigation of the era. The map traces the precise topography of the island's interior through 50-foot contours, punctuated by survey markers like Vabm 80 and Vabm 52. This Army Map Service production offers a window into the Alaskan wilderness during a period of active photogrammetric mapping in the early 1950s.