1950 Map of Teller D-3

About this map

Ear Mountain rises as the central landmark of this landscape, its peaks and gulches providing a rugged backdrop to a network of arctic waterways. At the base of the mountain, the Ear Mountain Landing Strip and a solitary Cabin mark the minimal human footprint in this Seward Peninsula terrain during the mid-twentieth century. The Continental Divide winds through the southern reaches of the map, separating the drainage of the Kugrupaga River and Arctic River from the North Fork Nuluk River. This 1950s survey, updated with revisions in the 1970s, captures a remote geography defined by traditional routes like the Winter Trail and named mining-era features such as Idaho Gulch and Step Gulch. The prevalence of small tributary labels like Mizpah Creek and Eldorado Creek points to a legacy of prospectors naming the land one drainage at a time.