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1955 Map of Ketchikan D-4

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Ketchikan D-4
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Revillagigedo Island dominates the landscape of this mid-century survey, its mountainous terrain etched with deep glacial carvings and drainages like Orchard Creek and Cow Creek. The waters of the Behm Canal serve as the central maritime corridor, flanked by protected anchorages including Fitzgibbon Cove and Saks Cove. A lone Cabin near Burroughs Bay suggests the sparse human footprint in this wilderness area, which is entirely contained within the Tongass National Forest.

The presence of numerous triangulation stations, such as VABM Burroughs Bay South Base and VABM Fish, indicates the technical effort required to map this complex shoreline. The high-altitude interior is marked by significant freshwater features like Claude Lake, highlighting the dramatic elevation shifts between the sea-level tidal flats of Portage Cove and the inland peaks. This document preserves the coastal geography as it was recorded shortly after the 1948 aerial photography mission.