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1956 Map of Umiat

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Umiat
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Umiat sits at a strategic bend in the Colville River, serving as a vital outpost in the Arctic wilderness during the mid-1950s. This territory is defined by the sprawling Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4, reflecting the era's focus on national energy security and exploration. The landscape is a complex network of meandering waterways, including the Anaktuvuk River and Chandler River, which carve through the tundra alongside prominent landforms like Umiat Mountain and Sentinel Hill.

Evidence of mid-century industrial activity is marked by the Gubik Gas Field and a series of Tractor Trails that crisscross the permafrost. These trails provided the only overland access for heavy equipment between isolated landmarks such as Schrader Bluff and the Niakogon Buttes. The survey details a prehistoric landscape undergoing modern evaluation, where traditional river navigation met the emerging infrastructure of the oil and gas industry.