Apalachee Bay

Washington D.C.: Published by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1916. Large folding nautical chart, printed on heavy paper stock. Uncolored. Rare original coastal survey of Florida's Apalachee bay.

Established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 as the Survey of the Coast, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was the United States' first civilian scientific agency. This agency has followed its mission to survey the U.S. coastline, create nautical charts of the coast, and help increase maritime safety since its founding, and has often played fascinating roles in significant chapters of U.S. history. It served in all theaters of the Civil War in the service of the Union Army and Navy, pioneered acoustic exploration in the wake of the sinking of the Titanic, and during WWI it worked to detect enemy submarines. In addition, this agency worked to survey and produce detailed maps and renderings of the U.S. coast. These nautical survey maps (commonly referred to as "T-sheets") provide fascinating insights into the history of the United States coastline, which has and will continue to shift. These maps are the most important data source for understanding the physical and ecological characteristics of the U.S. shoreline. The present map of the Florida coastline is notable for the inclusion of St Marks light house, built at the head of the St Marks River to assist in navigation to and from the important 19th century agricultural port of St Marks. This map is a highly detailed and accurate sea chart of the Apalachee Bay from Fish Creek to Alligator Point, and an important historical view of a developing Florida.