1956 Map of Card Sound

About this map

Key Largo and the surrounding shallow sounds represent a transition between the Florida mainland and the outer reef tract during the mid-20th century. Photorevised updates from 1969 and 1973 reveal the rapid development of the Ocean Reef Club and the settlement of Grayvik, where a sprawling Golf Course and residential canals have been carved into the tropical landscape. The interior of the northern key remains dominated by Crocodile Lake and dense mangroves, while the waters are navigated via the Intracostal Waterway and various passages like Jewfish Creek and Steamboat Creek. To the north, the map details the boundary between Dade and Monroe counties as it cuts through Card Sound. This survey captures the infrastructure of the era, including the Toll Bridge connecting the mainland, and the isolation of nearby islands like Pumpkin Key and Old Rhodes Key.