Loading map...

1906 Map of Matinicus

Name: 1906 Topographic Map of Matinicus
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1927
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1927

About this map

Matinicus Isle and the surrounding outer reaches of the Atlantic Ocean are captured here in a 1906 survey that details the remote maritime life of Knox County. The settlement of Matinicus serves as the hub of this archipelago, flanked by smaller outposts like Criehaven on Ragged Island. These islands are defined by their utilitarian relationship with the sea, connected to the mainland via a marked steamboat route that threaded through hazardous shoals.

Topographic details reveal the specific coastal geography relied upon by local mariners, from the sheltered waters of Burgess Cove and Cato Cove to prominent landmarks like Wheaton and High Head. Further offshore, the map identifies isolated outposts such as Matinicus Rock and Seal Island, as well as numerous ledges like Zephyr Ledges and Bay Ledge that necessitated careful navigation. This document preserves the early 20th-century footprint of Maine's most seaward communities before the modern era of coastal transit.