1950 Map of Shishmaref

About this map

Sarichef Island stands as a primary landform at the edge of the Chukchi Sea, separating the open ocean from the sheltered waters of Shishmaref Inlet and Arctic Lagoon. This 1950s survey, compiled from early aerial photography, illustrates the remote coastal landscape of the Seward Peninsula before its inclusion within the Bering Land Bridge National Monument. The map detail highlights the sparse infrastructure of the era, marked by a seasonal Winter Trail and a solitary Shelter Cabin positioned along the coast. Waterways like the Serpentine River and Cowpack River snake through the tundra toward the coast, while the Arctic Circle line crosses the northern reaches of the sheet, underscoring the extreme latitude of this coastal environment.