1956 Map of Eagle B-4

About this map

Fortymile River and its intricate drainage network dominate this mid-century survey of a remote interior landscape. The map details the confluence of the Middle Fork Fortymile River and several significant tributaries, including Portage Creek and Pittsburgh Creek. Unlike more developed regions, this area is defined by its watercourses and evocative topographical landmarks such as Manila. The survey represents a landscape largely untouched by permanent modern settlement, though the presence of Cabin (Ruins) near Fish Creek suggests the ephemeral nature of human activity in this terrain. The naming conventions, featuring labels like Chicago Boy Creek, Silver Bow Creek, and Gold Bottom Creek, point toward the area's prospecting and mining heritage. These family and descriptive names provide a geographical record of the individuals and ventures that navigated these forks during the mid-twentieth century, preserved just as aerial photogrammetry began to standardize the mapping of the Alaskan interior.