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1959 Map of Cordova

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Cordova
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Cordova serves as the focal point for this survey of the eastern Prince William Sound and the expansive Copper River Delta. The landscape reflects a transitional period in Alaskan infrastructure, where the legacy of early 20th-century industry is visible in the Copper River and Northwestern RR Grade, which once connected interior copper mines to the coast. This transit corridor is partially mirrored by the development of the Copper River Highway near Eyak Lake.

To the west, the map details the rugged coastlines of Hinchinbrook Island and Hawkins Island protecting Orca Bay, while the eastern portion highlights the wilderness of Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and the Chugach National Forest. Smaller settlements like Ellamar on Valdez Arm and the coastal site of Katalla near Controller Bay mark the remote outposts of the era. The presence of the McKinley Lake Mine and numerous glaciers, including those feeding Miles Lake, underscores the region's reliance on its mineral and maritime resources.