1956 Map of Healy B-5

About this map

Mt McKinley National Park dominates the northern half of this mid-century survey, with its National Park Boundary cutting diagonally across the high terrain of the Alaska Range. The landscape is defined by the massive Cantwell Glacier and the high point of Foggy Pass, which separates the northern drainages from the southern river systems. This era of the Alaskan interior is characterized by the critical infrastructure of the Alaska Railroad, which snakes through the mountain passes alongside an Airstrip and a CAA Station near Summit Lake. The map reveals a transition from the glacial heights to the braided waters of the Middle Fork Chulitna River and Bull River, showing the importance of transportation corridors in this mountain environment during the 1950s. Survey points like VABM 2235 Trestle and Water Tank indicate the technical demands of maintaining a rail line through such a dynamic wilderness.