1958 Map of Sagavanirktok

About this map

The Sagavanirktok River serves as the central artery for this mid-century survey of Alaska's North Slope, a landscape undergoing significant industrial change. The map documents the early infrastructure of the region's energy corridor, featuring the Dalton Highway and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline running parallel to the river. Remote outposts like Sagwon and Gilead appear alongside specialized aviation markers such as the Franklin Bluffs Landing Strip and Happy Valley Landing Strip. To the east, the boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the rugged White Hills and the Ivishak River drainage. This period of mapping is characterized by the coexistence of traditional winter routes, like the Winter Trail, and the modern industrial installations of oil and gas wells that began to define the North Slope's economic geography.