1954 Map of Kateel River C-1

About this map

The Koyukuk River meanders through this interior Alaska landscape, creating a complex network of wetlands and oxbow lakes characteristic of the mid-1950s. Human presence is sparse, centered on small outposts such as Heslia and Richards Camp. These sites, along with a remote Landing Strip and Simons Cabin, illustrate the reliance on seasonal transport and river access in this era. Navigation through the region depended on water features like Racetrack Slough and the overland Winter Trail. Large bodies of water, including Boat Lake, Fivemile Lake, and Netholzen de Lake, dominate the eastern terrain, while evidence of earlier habitation appears at the site of Ruins near the riverbank. This survey captures a period of transition where traditional land use and early bush aviation intersected in the Yukon-Koyukuk region.