1956 Map of Wilkeson

About this map

The Northern Pacific railroad winds through the coal and timber country of Pierce County, connecting the industrial settlements of Wilkeson and Carbonado. This mid-century survey reveals a landscape defined by resource extraction and elevation, where numerous tunnels and prospects mark the steep slopes above the Carbon River. The map captures the tight-knit grid of company towns alongside family-named geography like Brooks Hill and Gleason Hill. Southward, the terrain climbs toward the high ridges and glacial runoff of the Cascades, where the Electron Lookout stands watch over the drainage basins of Voight Creek and Mowich Lake. Small upland communities like Fairfax and Upper Fairfax are shown at the edge of the wilderness, linked by narrow routes such as Fairfax Road as the valley narrows toward the mountain.