1951 Map of Chandler Lake

About this map

The Brooks Range and the Endicott Mountains dominate this 1951 reconnaissance survey, capturing a wild landscape of the Alaskan interior as it was documented for the Naval Petroleum Reserve. The drainage systems of the Anaktuvuk River, Chandler River, and Siksikpuk River carve through high-altitude terrain, reaching North to the Arctic slope. A critical feature of this map is the documentation of Anaktuvuk Pass, a vital geographical gateway through the mountains. Dozens of family-named and descriptive landmarks are recorded here, from Mt Wachsmuth to the distinctive Tuktu Bluff and Ayiyak Mesa. This compilation, derived from early 1930s surveys and mid-century aerial photogrammetry, provides a fundamental record of naming conventions and hydrology before the era of modern development, including remote water bodies like Chandler Lake and Shainin Lake.