Loading map...

1952 Map of St Michael

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of St Michael
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The delta of the Yukon River and the coastal reaches of Norton Sound define this 1952 topographic survey, a period when transportation in western Alaska relied heavily on intricate water routes and seasonal trails. The map documents the northern distributaries of the Yukon, including Kwikpak Pass and the Apoon Pass, which served as vital corridors for the settlements of Kotlik and Kothlik. Further north along the coast, the volcanic geography is evident at St Michael Island and Stuart Island, where the established trading and transit hub of St Michael is situated near the distinctive Crater Mtn.

Marine navigation is intricately detailed through hydrography compiled from mid-century charts, showing the hazardous Stuart Island Reef and the Stephens Pass. This era captures a landscape of indigenous settlements like Stebbins and Pikmiktalik before modern infrastructure, with only established overland trails connecting the coastal villages across the expansive wetlands and sloughs such as Elongozhik Slough.