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1951 Map of Coleen

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Coleen
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The Porcupine River carves a winding path through the eastern interior of Alaska, serving as the primary drainage for a landscape defined by braided waterways and isolated outposts in the mid-20th century. This 1951 survey documents a sparsely settled territory along the United States Canada border, where small clusters of habitations like Old Rampart and Red Gate mark the few established points of human presence.

The hydrologic network is the dominant feature, with the Coleen River and Sheenjek River flowing south through valleys guarded by Shoulder Mountain and Rabbit Mountain. The map records several seasonal or remote dwellings, including Owens Cabins and Burnt Paw, illustrating the logistical isolation of the region before modern infrastructure reached this corner of the Yukon-Koyukuk. Numerous international boundary markers follow the meridian, pinning the high ridges of Canalaska Mtn and the upper reaches of the Rapid River.