1893 Map of Chatham

About this map

Chatham and its neighboring villages of North Chatham and Chatham Port occupy a landscape defined by an intricate network of coastal inlets and barrier beaches at the end of the nineteenth century. This survey, compiled from work by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, illustrates the maritime hazards of the era through the placement of Chatham Lights and several light ships stationed in the Atlantic. The long, narrow reach of Monomoy Island extends southward, separating the open ocean from the more sheltered waters of Stage Harbor. This topography reveals the essential maritime infrastructure of the day, including multiple U.S.L.S. Stations and landmarks such as Nickersons Neck and Harding Beach Light, which guided the shipping traffic that sustained these coastal Massachusetts settlements.