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1959 Map of Cordova C-2

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Cordova C-2
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Million Dollar Bridge stands as a massive engineering landmark where the Old Railroad Grade meets the churning waters of the Copper River. This 1959 field-annotated map captures a landscape dominated by massive ice and water, where the river forces its way through Baird Canyon and creates the turbulent Abercrombie Rapids. The survey documents the remnants of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, showing the transit route skirting the shores of Miles Lake and navigating the narrow corridor between towering peaks and active glaciers.

Industrial history is etched into the terrain via the railroad's path, which is shadowed by the expansive Miles Glacier and McPherson Glacier. Significant landmarks like Goat Mountain and the southern reaches of the Chugach National Forest define the high country. For those studying early Alaskan transport, the relationship between the Chinaman Slough and the primary rail grade provides essential context for the difficult logistics of the era.