1959 Map of Gulkana A-2

About this map

Mount Drum dominates the central landscape of this interior Alaska survey, serving as the high point from which a network of glacial and river systems radiates. The eastern slopes are defined by the massive Nadina Glacier, which feeds the south-flowing Nadina River. To the north, the Sanford River cuts through the high terrain, while the Klawasi River and Dadina River drainage patterns illustrate the complex hydrological relationship between the volcanic peaks of the Wrangell Mountains and the surrounding lowlands. This 1950s documentation of the region captures the glacial extent and land lines as predetermined by the Bureau of Land Management, during a period when much of this territory remained unsurveyed and unmarked on the ground, reflecting the remote nature of the Alaskan wilderness before more extensive modern development.