1949 Map of Fairbanks C-1

About this map

The Tanana River dominates this mid-century landscape, its complex braided channels and side-sloughs carving through the territory southeast of Fairbanks. This 1949 survey documents a critical period of Cold War military expansion in Alaska, featuring the extensive grounds of Eielson Air Force Base and the adjacent Ladd Air Force Base Bombing and Gunnery Range. The infrastructure of the era is clearly defined by the parallel routes of the Alaska Railroad and the Richardson Highway, which serve as the primary north-south corridor. Small outposts and landmarks like Big Horn and Bluff sit near the river's edge, while the intricate network of waterways including Salchaket Slough, Chena Slough, and Piledriver Slough illustrates the dynamic hydrologic character of the floodplains. Geologists and local historians can trace the early layout of the air base and the surrounding Military Reservation before later decades of development.