Maps

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. With maps, that’s especially true! Old maps of Wrangell tell us things that aren’t in most stories. I’ve reassembled these maps, adding color and clarity, in hopes that it helps you understand more about Wrangell history.

Wrangell Waterfront Timeline

Interactive Story Map

Find stories featured on Wrangell History Unlocked using this interactive Google map.

Etolin Harbor Colorized

RUSSIAN MAP, circa 1830s

This may be the earliest chart of Etolin Harbor, the body of water around which Wrangell is based. My wife, Mary, helped me translate the handwritten Russian labels into English. We did our best, but we’re open to feedback. You can view the original here.

U.S. COAST SURVEY, 1869

This map was among the first created by the United States after the Treaty of Cession with Russia. The original map is here.

Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw BY GEORGE EMMONS, 1880s

This is one of the most famous maps of old Wrangell, showing the location of the clans of Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw. Emmons clearly made this map in a hurry, and I took the liberty of updating some elements of the design.

FORT WRANGEL, circa 1890s

This map shows Fort Wrangel and Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw around the 1870s, into the 1880s. The original map is from Wrangell and the Gold of the Cassiar.

INDIAN POSSESSIONS, September 1914

This map shows a detailed survey performed in Wrangell. I’ve marked red areas marked as “Indian Possessions.” The original images are here.

SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE, NOVEMBER 1914

The original is separate images which I stitched together. Wrangell burned down in 1906. By 1914, Wrangell rebuilt even bigger.

Historic Places

FORT WRANGEL, late 1860s. The U.S. Army began clearing ground for Fort Wrangel in early 1868, just months after purchasing Russia’s interests in Alaska. The fort contained twelve buildings which survived for decades over three separate Army occupations.

WRANGELL INSTITUTE. This map is a composite based off photographs and available maps of the area. Many structures went up after the school opened in 1932. You can learn more on our Wrangell Institute research page.

ALASKA PACKERS ASSOCIATION CANNERY, date unknown. This map shows the Alaska Packers Association cannery at the north end of Wrangell Island, before Labouchere Bay was filled in to create the Wrangell Airport. (source: Alaska Packers Association Records, Series III: Property, Sub-Series 6: Survey Maps, Microfiche 448, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.)

Alaska Packers Association, Wrangell Cannery Salmon Streams. This map is an attempt to identify all the freshwater streams around southeast Alaska that provided salmon to Wrangell’s APA cannery. Learn more on our blog, Fish Trapped: Salmon Streams of Wrangell’s APA Cannery.

Maps

Wrangell Waterfront Timeline

Interactive Story Map

Etolin Harbor Colorized

Historic Places

Most Recent Podcast Episodes:

Most Recent Blog Posts:

HOME | PODCAST | MAPS | VIDEos | GALLERY | BLOG