1899 Map of Muskeget

About this map

Muskeget Id. and its surrounding archipelago define this late nineteenth-century maritime landscape where Nantucket Sound meets the Atlantic Ocean. The survey reveals a complex network of shoals and shifting sands, notably the Cross Rip Shoal Light Ship stationed in the northern waters to guide vessels through the treacherous currents of the Muskeget Channel. On Tuckernuck Id., the topography is punctuated by North Pond and East Pond, while the western edge of Nantucket Id. shows the early coastline at Maddaket Harbor and Great Neck. Life-saving stations, marked as L.S.S. on both Muskeget Id. and the main island, underscore the hazards of these waters during an era when coastal navigation was vital to the region's economy and safety. The map provides a clear view of the Dukes and Nantucket county boundary line as it bisects the channel.