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1951 Map of McCarthy B-8

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of McCarthy B-8
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Chitina River dominates this landscape, its wide, braided channels carving through a valley floor marked by numerous smaller water bodies such as Muskrat Lake and Skull Lake. This 1951 field-annotated survey captures the infrastructure of the Copper River region, specifically an Old Railroad Grade that winds through the northern half of the territory, passing near the settlement of Chokosna.

The presence of this rail grade suggests the region's industrial heritage, even as the terrain remains dominated by significant elevations like Nelson Mtn and Gilahina Butte. The drainage network is dense, with the Kuskulana River and Hanagita River feeding into the larger system. This map provides a detailed view of the unsurveyed and unmarked land lines as predetermined by the Bureau of Land Management, offering a clear picture of the mid-century Alaskan wilderness before modern development.