1950 Map of Kotzebue A-6

About this map

The Serpentine River flows through an intricate network of waterways and thousands of small tundra ponds in this 1950s-era survey of the Seward Peninsula. The landscape is defined by the convergence of the North Fork Serpentine River and Rock Creek, which snake through a flat, water-saturated expanse before the terrain rises toward the east. This area, captured through 1949 and 1950 photogrammetric methods by the Army Map Service, shows a wilderness primarily shaped by natural drainage patterns rather than human infrastructure. Prominent survey points like VABM Stone and VABM Lane provide the only named terrestrial landmarks, while the Nugnugaluktuk River and Lane River drain the northern and eastern reaches. The absence of roads or trails on this sheet emphasizes the isolation of the region during the mid-twentieth century.