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1904 Map of Swan Island

Name: 1904 Topographic Map of Swan Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1932
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1932

About this map

Swan Island and its surrounding archipelago define this maritime landscape in Blue Hill Bay, where coastal life was inextricably linked to the sea at the turn of the century. The map reveals the intricate network of the Steamboat Route connecting isolated settlements like Frenchboro on Long Island and Mc Kinley on the mainland. Topographical details highlight the coastal elevations of Big Mt. and Goose Mt., which served as natural landmarks for mariners navigating the Casco Passage.

Maritime infrastructure is prominently noted, including the light at Bass Harbor Head and the critical narrows of the Western Way. Family-named landmarks such as Rice Pt. and Bunker Head on Great Cranberry reflect the deep-rooted genealogy of the local fishing and seafaring communities. From the granite shores of Marshall Island to the sheltered waters of Mitchell Cove, the sheet preserves the early 20th-century footprint of Hancock County's outer islands.