1933 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Geologic Map of Girdwood District, Alaska

Part of a U.S. government study trying to make the Alaska Railroad profitable.

This is a 1933 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey geologic map of the Girdwood District in Alaska. The map accompanies a report published by the U.S. Department of the Interior commissioned to investigate mineral deposits in 9 different regions along the route of the Alaska Railroad. These studies hoped to discover deposits of sufficient magnitude that their exploitation would help the Alaska Railroad become profitable. Of the 9 districts, 5 were investigated for gold deposits, including Girdwood.

A Closer Look

The map depicts the region from the Alaska Railroad and the town of Girdwood north to the mouth of the Eagle River at Eagle Glacier. Several other glaciers are illustrated, along with Raven Creek and Magpie Creek. 7 'mines and prospects' are numerically identified, highlighting the 7 most likely locations for profitable gold mining in the area. Colors indicate different sedimentary rock formations and correspond with a key in the upper right corner. Three profile views of sections within the region appear along the left border.

The Alaska Railroad

The Alaska Railroad began as the Alaska Central Railroad, which started building a line north from Seward in 1903. The Alaska Central completed 50 miles of track before going bankrupt in 1907. The railroad was reorganized as the Alaska Northern Railroad Company in 1911 and succeeded in extending the line 21 miles farther north. The U.S. Congress purchased the railroad on March 12, 1914, after agreeing to construct a railroad from Seward to Fairbanks. The U.S. government completed construction of the railroad on July 15, 1923, and ownership passed from the U.S. government to the State of Alaska on January 6, 1985. Today, the railroad operates 656 miles of track, including the over 470-mile mainline from Seward to Fairbanks. The Alaska Railroad serves both  Anchorage and Denali National Park.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the United States Coast Survey in 1933, with geology done by Charles F. Park, Jr. and topography by Walter G. Carson. The separate map is not cataloged in OCLC, but the booklet is well represented in institutional collections.

Cartographer

The Office of the Coast Survey (1807 - present), founded in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, is the oldest scientific organization in the U.S. Federal Government. Jefferson created the "Survey of the Coast," as it was then called, to produce accurate navigational charts of the new nation's coasts and harbors. The first two superintendents defined the spirit of the Coast Survey. The Coast Survey's first superintendent was Swiss immigrant and West Point mathematics professor Ferdinand Hassler. Under Hassler's direction, from 1816 to 1843, the Coast Survey established its ideological and scientific foundations. These included the use of the most advanced techniques and most sophisticated equipment, along with unstinting attention to detail. Hassler devised a labor-intensive triangulation system that divided the entire coast into a series of enormous triangles. These were then subdivided into smaller triangulation units, which were individually surveyed. No one had ever attempted this exacting technique on such a massive scale. As a result, Hassler and the Coast Survey under his leadership earned a reputation for uncompromising dedication to accuracy and excellence. Unfortunately, despite being a masterful surveyor, Hassler was abrasive and politically unpopular, and Congress cut funding for the Coast Survey twice. Nonetheless, Hassler led the Coast Survey until his death in 1843, when Alexander Dallas Bache, Benjamin Franklin's great-grandson, took the helm. Bache was fully dedicated to the principles established by Hassler, but proved more politically astute and successfully lobbied Congress to fund the endeavor generously. Under A. D. Bache's leadership, the Coast Survey completed its most important work. During his long tenure with the Coast Survey, from 1843 to 1865, Bache steadfastly advocated American science and navigation and, in fact, founded the American Academy of Sciences. Benjamin Pierce succeeded Bache and ran the Survey from 1867 to 1874. Pierce was succeeded by Carlile Pollock Patterson, Superintendent from 1874 to 1881. In 1878, under Patterson's superintendence, the U.S. Coast Survey was reorganized as the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) to accommodate both topographic and nautical surveys. Today, the Coast Survey is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the National Geodetic Survey.   Further Details...

Source

Park, C.F. Jr., 'The Girdwood District, Alaska. Geological Survey Bulletin 849-G.', (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office) 1933.    

Condition

Very good. Light wear along original fold lines. Accompanied by Department of the Interior report.