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1893 Map of Nantucket

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Nantucket
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1898
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1898

About this map

Nantucket Railroad tracks trace a vital nineteenth-century corridor across the island, connecting the main settlement of Nantucket with the burgeoning summer retreats at Surfside and Siasconsett. This coastal landscape is defined by its maritime infrastructure, featuring the Nantucket Cliff Beacons, Brant Point Lt., and the isolated Nantucket Lt. at Great Point. The island's interior reveals a complex topography of glacial moraine features like the Shawkemo Hills and Altar Rock Hills, interspersed with numerous ponds such as Gibbs Pond and the expansive Sachacha Pond.

Maritime safety is a prominent theme, evidenced by the Life Saving Station positioned along the South Shore. The survey work of E. B. Clark and the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey detail the fragile geography of Coatue Beach and the various heads and points, like Pocomo Head and Squam Head, that shelter Nantucket Harbor and the Head of the Harbor. The presence of established outposts like Wauwinet underscores the island's dual identity as a working maritime hub and a seasonal destination.