{"product_id":"old-map-of-dauphin-island-alabama-by-usgs-1943-mobile-bay-mississippi-sound-fort-gaines","title":"Old Map of Dauphin Island, Alabama by USGS, 1943 – Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound \u0026 Fort Gaines","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Cedar Point,” published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1943, is a finely detailed topographical portrait of Alabama’s Gulf Coast at a scale of 1:62,500. Centered on the low, intricate coastal country around Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, and Mississippi Sound, the map captures a landscape defined by water, marsh, sand, and strategic shoreline. Its title evokes Cedar Point, the mainland threshold to Dauphin Island, but the sheet ranges across a broader maritime geography, including Fort Gaines, Fort Morgan, Bayou La Batre, Grand Bay, Dog River, and the barrier-island chain stretching toward Petit Bois and Horn Island. Created from wartime-era survey work, it preserves a moment when accurate coastal mapping was vital for navigation, defense, infrastructure, and environmental understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its topographic sheets indispensable throughout the twentieth century. Color coding distinguishes land, water, vegetation, and built features with clarity, while contour lines trace even subtle elevation changes across an exceptionally low coastal terrain. In a region where a few feet of relief can shape drainage, settlement, road placement, and storm vulnerability, these contours are more than technical marks; they are the map’s quiet narrative of land meeting sea. Greens suggest vegetated areas and wetlands, blues define bays, sounds, rivers, and bayous, and the overall composition reveals the careful balance between scientific measurement and legible design characteristic of USGS cartography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDauphin Island forms the emotional and geographic heart of the sheet, lying between the open Gulf environment and the protected waters of Mobile Bay. Fort Gaines, guarding the island’s eastern end, appears within a historic military landscape linked to the defense of Mobile Bay, opposite Fort Morgan across the channel. This pairing evokes one of the Gulf Coast’s most storied entrances, where currents, shoals, and strategic headlands shaped both commerce and conflict. The map also situates Dauphin Island within a wider chain of barrier islands, including Petit Bois Island and Horn Island, emphasizing the dynamic coastal system that protects the mainland while constantly being reshaped by tides, storms, and sediment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorth and west of the island, the map opens into the intricate shorelines and waterways of coastal Alabama. Bayou La Batre, long associated with fishing, boatbuilding, and Gulf seafood culture, sits among tidal creeks, marshes, and low-lying routes that reveal how closely human settlement depended on navigable water. Grand Bay, Halls Mill, Dog River, Point aux Pines, Faulkner Island, and Islander Point appear as part of a dispersed coastal network tied to Mobile and its bay. The sheet’s topographic character makes visible the subtle hydrology of the region: bayous threading inland, wetlands grading into higher ground, and roads following the narrow opportunities offered by dry, stable terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Cedar Point” offers a compelling baseline for understanding decades of coastal change. Produced in 1943, it belongs to an era when the Gulf Coast was being mapped with increasing precision for military, transportation, and planning purposes; in later years, such surveys would become invaluable for postwar development, environmental study, and coastal management. Comparing its depiction of marshes, shorelines, islands, and settlements with the modern landscape reveals the long pressures of urban expansion, hurricane impact, erosion, dredging, and infrastructure growth. Its beauty lies not only in its restrained cartographic style, but in its ability to capture a fragile, shifting coast at a specific historical moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDauphin Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMobile\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMobile Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMississippi Sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePetit Bois Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHorn Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrand Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort Gaines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort Morgan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHalls Mill\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBayou La Batre\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDog River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFaulkner Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoint aux Pines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIslander Point\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCedar Point\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated in 1943 using survey data from the same year.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical topographical map at a scale of 1:62,500.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows the layout and features of Dauphin Island, Alabama, and the surrounding coastal area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses color coding and contour lines to show elevation changes, land use, and topographic detail.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighlights coastal features, wetlands, and subtle elevation changes important for understanding drainage and water flow.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects a period of post-war planning and provides insight into later geographical, infrastructural, urban, and coastal-management changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe US Geological Survey is known for producing detailed topographical maps used in environmental studies, urban planning, and outdoor recreation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58802302058880,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58802302091648,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58802302124416,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58802302157184,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58802302189952,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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