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1954 Map of Talkeetna B-3

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Talkeetna B-3
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Chelatna Lake and the towering Kahiltna Glacier dominate this mid-century Alaskan landscape, where the braided channels of the Kahiltna River cut through an expanse of marsh and tundra. In the early 1950s, the isolated settlement at Collinsville and the Chelatna Lodge served as remote outposts for miners and hunters navigating the Peters Hills. The survey reveals a network of water-dependent transport and industry, from the gold-bearing potential of Dollar Creek and Hansen Bar Creek to the practical routes of the Tractor Trail.

Drainage patterns are meticulously charted across the valley floor, highlighting named tributaries like Wetbutt Creek and Summit Creek. These waterways, along with features like Gideon Bar, map out a territory defined by glacial runoff and the difficult logistics of the interior, preserved here just as modern aviation and heavy machinery began to alter the accessibility of the Matanuska-Susitna region.