1952 Map of Ruby C-1

About this map

Big Mud River winds across the southern reaches of this interior Alaskan landscape, a region defined by extensive wetland complexes and isolated high points. Mapping conducted via aerial photography in the early 1950s reveals a wilderness predominantly shaped by drainage patterns rather than human settlement. The terrain is punctuated by several prominent surveying benchmarks, including VABM 2045 Two in the west and VABM 1923 Seven further south. These high points served as critical navigational and surveying anchors during the mid-century efforts to chart the Kateel River Meridian. The northern portion of the map is drained by Grand Creek, which meanders through a dense network of small lakes and ponds, illustrating the typical permafrost-influenced hydrology of the Yukon-Koyukuk region before any modern infrastructure reached this sector.