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1952 Map of Holy Cross A-3

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Holy Cross A-3
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The Holy Cross Mountains dominate the southwestern interior of Alaska in this early 1950s survey, where the peaks descend into a complex network of waterways and wetlands. The Yukon River flows along the eastern edge of the quadrangle, creating a dynamic riparian landscape of islands and side channels, including the prominent Horse Island and the meandering Big Bend Slough. To the north, the Koserefski River snakes through the lowlands, joined by smaller drainages like Mountain Creek.

This era of mapping, based on aerial photography from the Army Map Service, captures the region's wilderness character before significant modern development. A solitary Trail is one of the few indicators of human passage through the dense forest and marshland. The proximity of Deer Hunting Slough and Crooked Lake suggests a landscape defined by seasonal subsistence and traditional navigation through the Alaskan bush.