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.

 

The Waterfront

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. The map in the background is from Google Maps.

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 Buildings

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.)