1953 Map of Kantishna River A-3

About this map

The Kantishna River winds through this interior landscape, defined by a complex network of wetlands and seasonal drainages. During the early 1950s, this area remained largely unsurveyed on the ground, with the Bureau of Land Management establishing predetermined locations for future land lines. The topography is dominated by the sprawling wetlands around John Hansen Lake and smaller bodies of water like Square Lake and Jeannes Lake. To the southeast, the terrain rises sharply toward Bearpaw Mountain, offering a stark contrast to the low-lying basins of John Hansen Creek. This document captures the wilderness state of the region before significant modern development, emphasizing the natural hydrology and the early application of photogrammetric mapping techniques in the Alaskan interior.