1955 Map of Circle A-3

About this map

The Middle Fork Chena River winds through this interior landscape, defining a remote region dominated by a network of drainage basins. Mapping in the mid-1950s reveals an environment shaped by early aviation and resource extraction, anchored by the Van Curlers Bar Landing Strip and a Placer Mine located south of the river. The southern portion of the quadrangle is largely occupied by the Fort Wainwright Military Reservation, while the surrounding terrain is marked by unnamed Cabins and minor landing areas. The intricate hydrology is evidenced by numerous named tributaries such as Bear Creek, California Creek, and Salmonfoot Creek, which flow through the unsurveyed and unmarked lands of the Fairbanks Meridian. This document serves as a record of the wilderness just before the 1970s revisions, showing the intersection of military boundaries and the lonely outpost infrastructure of the Alaskan bush.