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1949 Map of Healy A-6

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Healy A-6
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1997
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1997

About this map

The West Fork Chulitna River and the Alaska Railroad corridor form the structural spine of this high-altitude landscape. Based on photogrammetric surveys from 1949, the map reveals the critical intersection of transportation and industry in the Alaska Range. Remote outposts like Honolulu and Hurricane appear as tiny nodes along the rail line, serving as vital links between the interior and the coast. The northern portion of the quadrangle is dominated by the Denali National Park and Preserve and the massive Eldridge Glacier, where the ice and mountains dictate the path of water and people.

Industrial activity is anchored by the Golden Zone Mine near Bryn Mawr Creek and the Silver King Mine further north. These sites illustrate the era's focus on mineral extraction in challenging environments. The development of the George Parks Highway eventually paralleled the rail route, reinforcing this passage through the mountains as the primary artery for the Matanuska-Susitna region. From the depths of Hurricane Gulch to the summit of Lookout Mtn, the map captures a moment when large-scale infrastructure was first solidifying its presence in the wilderness.