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1952 Map of Valdez

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Valdez
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Valdez serves as the coastal anchor for this mid-century reconnaissance of the Third Judicial Division, where the maritime activity of Port Valdez meets the rugged interior via the Richardson Highway. The map captures a landscape defined by glacier-fed waters and mining history, tracing the path from the coast over Thompson Pass toward the inland valley. A network of early industrial sites is visible, including remote outposts like Gold King Camp, Ramsay-Rutherford Camp, and the Cliff Mine along the shoreline.

Further inland, the convergence of the Tonsina River and the Copper River reveals a pattern of established roadhouses and transit points such as Tonsina and Lower Tonsina. The presence of the Exp Sta Res and Mil Res at Copper Center highlights the administrative and agricultural trials of the era. From the massive expanse of Tazlina Lake to the small settlement of Strelna, the sheet documents the transition from coastal port to the mineral-rich Copper River basin.