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1901 Map of Nantucket

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Nantucket
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1905
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1905

About this map

The town of Nantucket serves as the hub of this late nineteenth-century island survey, which highlights a maritime landscape of shifting sands and isolated outposts. To the east, the Central R. R. connects the main settlement to the seaside village of Siasconset, while the long, narrow finger of Coatue Beach protects Nantucket Harbor from the open Nantucket Sound.

Maritime safety is a clear priority in this era, marked by the prominent Nantucket L.H. at Great Point and several life-saving stations, labeled as L.S.S., positioned along the vulnerable South Shore. The interior geography is defined by a series of kettle ponds and swamps, such as Sesachacha Pond and Gibbs Pond, and rising elevations at Altar Rock Hills and Folger Hill. Notable for genealogists is the clear depiction of early summer colonies and historic hamlets like Wauwinet, Polpis, and Quidnet.