1952 Map of Gulkana B-5

About this map

Crosswind Lake and the eastern edge of Lake Louise dominate this subarctic landscape in the early 1950s. The terrain is a dense network of countless unnamed kettle ponds and wetlands, characteristic of the glaciated Copper River Basin. While the map shows a mostly untouched wilderness, small signs of human presence appear in the form of isolated Cabin and Cabins structures located along the lake shores and near the headwaters of Tolsona Creek. These labels suggest seasonal hunting, trapping, or early recreational outposts established before more extensive regional development. Surveyors established the Whetstone VABM 2643 benchmark as a primary triangulation point to map this complex, water-heavy topography during the post-war efforts to document the Alaskan interior.