1951 Map of Gulkana

About this map

The Copper River Meridian bisects this interior landscape during a period of post-war northern expansion, centered on the strategic junctions of the Richardson Highway and the Glenn Highway. This era represents the peak of the highway lodge culture in the Copper River Basin, where remote roadhouses like Atlasta House, Sourdough, and Meiers Lake Lodge served as vital waypoints for travelers between the coast and the interior. The settlement at Glennallen PO emerges as a key hub near the confluence of the Gulkana River and the Tazlina River. To the east, the massive volcanic peaks of the Wrangell Mountains, including Mt Sanford and Mt Drum, dominate the skyline above the Sanford River valley. This survey documents the region before modern development, capturing a network of scattered outposts, wilderness airstrips, and traditional river crossings like Gakona and Chistochina.