1953 Map of Seward A-1

About this map

Montague Island, at the northern entrance to Prince William Sound, dominates this 1953 survey. The landscape is defined by the steep elevation of Montague Peak and the dramatic shoreline of Purple Bluff, which drops sharply toward the Gulf of Alaska. On the island's northwestern shore, the protected waters of Port Chalmers and the nearby Wilby Island provide a break in the exposed coastline. This area, situated within the Chugach National Forest, shows very little human footprint during this era, with only isolated cabins appearing on the western coast. The map provides precise soundings along the shelf, reflecting the primary importance of maritime navigation for this part of the Alaska-Third Judicial Division before the 1964 earthquake significantly altered these coastal elevations.