1953 Map of Cordova A-1

About this map

The Bering River delta dominates this coastal landscape at the edge of the Gulf of Alaska, where shifting silt and mud flats create a complex network of waterways. In the early 1950s, the area around Controller Bay remained largely primitive, characterized by remote Cabin sites and the remnants of industrial activity, such as the Cannery (Aband) near the mouth of Chilkat Creek. Large island landmasses like Kanak Island and Wingham Island provide natural barriers for the Okalee Channel. Inland, the terrain rises sharply toward Nichawak Mountain, with numerous glacial streams including the Nichawak River and Campbell River feeding into the bay. This survey captures a specific moment in the shoreline's evolution before the massive geological shifts of the 1964 earthquake, showing the precise extent of the Okalee Spit and extensive mud flats as they existed at mid-century.