1951 Map of Taku River B-6

About this map

Taku River and the saltwater reaches of Taku Inlet dominate this 1951 topographic study of the Alaska-Canada borderlands. The presence of a Customhouse and Taku Lodge near the river's edge signifies the area's role as a transit corridor into the interior. The landscape is defined by massive ice and water features, from the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier to the deep waters of Turner Lake. Several Homestead Entry Survey plots, such as Hes No 108 and Hes No 82, reveal early efforts to establish permanent claims within the Tongass National Forest. Inland, the terrain rises sharply toward peaks like Mount Swineford, drained by Davidson Creek and Johnson Creek into the silt-laden flats of the main river valley.