1949 Map of Card Sound

About this map

Key Largo and the surrounding islands of Card Sound are captured here in a 1940s survey that predates much of the modern development of the upper keys. The small settlement of Grayvik and the Key Largo Club stand as primary landmarks along the early route of Road 905. This era shows a landscape defined by saltwater creeks and bights, where the Intracoastal Waterway threads through the sound between the mainland and the reef-side keys. Coastal features such as Crocodile Lake and High Mangrove Bight illustrate the intricate wetland environment of the era. The map details a complex chain of keys including Old Rhodes Key, Totten Key, and Palo Alto Key, separated by tidal passages like Broad Creek and Angelfish Creek. To the south, the waters of Barnes Sound meet the mangrove-lined shores near Turkey Point and Steamboat Creek, documenting the shoreline before the significant environmental alterations of the late 20th century.