1956 Map of Pacific Reef

About this map

Old Rhodes Key and its surrounding marine environments dominate this mid-century hydrographic study, where the boundary between Dade Co and Monroe Co meets the open Atlantic Ocean. The map meticulously details the hazardous coral formations and navigation aids vital to maritime transit through the Florida Keys during the 1950s. The prominent Pacific Reef Lighthouse stands as a sentinel over Pacific Reef, marking the easternmost edge of the reef tract. To the west, the sheltered waters of Turtle Harbor and the complex tidal passages of Old Rhodes Channel and Broad Creek illustrate the natural barriers that protected the inner keys. These soundings and terrain features, compiled by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, capture the raw geography of Turtle Reef and Turtle Rocks before extensive modern development altered the region's accessibility.