1955 Map of Sagavanirktok D-4

About this map

The Toolik River winds through this expanse of the North Slope, where the landscape is defined by a dense network of thaw lakes and wetlands captured in 1955. This topographic study, based on aerial photography from the mid-century, reveals a territory devoid of permanent roads or trails, illustrating the remote character of the North Slope Borough prior to extensive industrial development. Small, isolated topographic points such as Skimo, Whitley, Livid, and Ben serve as the only named landmarks across the tundra. The Putuligayuk River appears in the northeast, marking the drainage patterns of this flat, water-dominated terrain. The map provides a detailed view of the unsurveyed and unmarked land lines as predetermined by the Bureau of Land Management, reflecting the early administrative efforts to map this northern frontier.