1943 Map of Saddlebunch Keys

About this map

Saddlebunch Keys and Sugarloaf Key form the heart of this coastal study, compiled from air photographs by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey during the early 1940s. The landscape is dominated by the intricate mangroves and tidal waters of Lower Sugarloaf Sound and Sugarloaf Cr, showing the primitive state of these islands before significant development. A single road, marked simply as 1, traverses the archipelago, providing a vital link through Precinct 8. To the south, the deep waters of Hawk Channel and the Straits of Florida are monitored by critical maritime aids, including the Rebecca Shoal Lighthouse and the American Shoal Lighthouse. The inclusion of Sugaloa Beach and Pirates Cove Bn 7 captures the mid-century character of these islands when they were primarily defined by their natural shoreline and strategic maritime location.