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Berry Islands History

24 Nov
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I’ve been frequenting the Berry Islands since the 1980s as I worked on projects from Chub Cay and Whale Cay in the south to Great Harbour Cay in the north with several other Berry Islands in between. In more recent years I've enjoyed the islands even more as I explore them in my old dive boat “Gone Astray”.  

 

The Berry Islands are located on the southern edge of the northeast Providence Channel, a major shipping route from Europe to America. Along that channel a hoard of cruise ships visit the Berry’s Stirrup Cays where guests enjoy great beaches and snorkeling. I hear today they even have zip lines and swimming pigs like those in the central Exumas.

 

A well-known wrecker named Cameron lived on Little Stirrup in the 1700s, today the island is known as CocoCay. Wrecking was a common occupation in the Bahamas which involved salvaging cargo from ships that wrecked on the endless reefs that surround the island nation. Bahamian wreckers also worked the Florida Keys reef and settled there even before Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. in 1819. A noted settlement on Great Stirrup was Williams Town that had a customs house during the time of Britain’s King William IV. Freed slaves were settled there by Bahamas Governor William Colebrooke in 1836 after British emancipation in 1834. Prior to that, British Navy Captain Allan Bertram was buried on the island, leaving his name on Bertram’s Cove. In 1863 the British Imperial Lighthouse Service built a light on Great Stirrup which still functions today, though now on solar power instead of whale oil and kerosene that was originally used with lighthouse keepers present.

 

One of my favorite Berry Island stories involves Whale Cay which was bought by Joanne ”Joe” Carstairs in 1934. Joe was a Standard Oil heiress who grew up in London and became a famous speed boat racer, besting many men of the day. She transformed Whale Cay into her own sanctuary with hundreds of Bahamian employees to tend her home and to play in her marching band which residents in Nassau would boat over to see. Ms. Carstairs had affairs with movie stars Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo and named a beach on Whale “Beach La Femme”.  Besides famous girlfriends, other celebrity guests included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Duke having abdicated the throne to England before serving as Governor of The Bahamas during World War II.

 

East of Whale is Little Whale Cay which was owned by American entrepreneur Wallace Groves who created Freeport, Grand Bahama in the mid-1950s. He had a home, a private airstrip and a menagerie of wildlife on Little Whale including peacocks and other exotic birds, many of which survived him.

 

While the Berry Islands are a popular cruise ship destination, they’re also an ideal cruising spot for private vessels to enjoy the many islands, beaches and secret little coves. I’ll continue to enjoy them on our new boat!

  For more information on The Bahamas, visit our site and check out A History of The Bahamas Through Maps and our other items! Call us at 239-963-3497 with any questions!
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Categories: Book Blog

Andros

20 Oct
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Map of Andros

Andros is the largest island in the Bahamas and is divided into three parts: North Andros, Mangrove Cay and South Andros. These are separated by the “Bights” which are waterways running from the deep Tongue of the Ocean on the east side to the shallow Great Bahama Bank on the west. Navigating these shallow waterways is exciting with sea turtles, sharks, bonefish, wading birds and an increasing number of flamingos. The entire west coast of Andros is uninhabited except for one small fishing camp “Flamingo Cay” owned by a friend. Guests arrive by helicopter or seaplane, that’s how remote it is and yes, he has his own flock of wild flamingos!

Flamingos on Flamingo Cay

My first trip to Andros in 1979 took me to International Field Studies, also known as Forfar, on north Andros. I knew a dive master there who suggested we scuba one of the many blue holes. We started by hiking through the bush with all our gear, tiring at best, then entered a circular hole of clear surface water which expanded into a huge room underwater. The water was crystal clear and fresh until we reached 60 feet where an oozy yellow layer signaled the denser saltwater interface. A challenge to penetrate the layer was taken and at 80 feet it was pitch black under the layer of yellow hydrogen sulfide with caves running off into more blackness, which I wanted nothing to do with. Years later National Geographic featured Bahamian blue holes on the cover, speaking of the extensive caves and scientific discoveries since a couple thousand years ago they were dry caves when sea level was lower.

Andros Aerial

Considering Andros is so large, there are relatively few places to stay. Kamalame Cay is a small, high-end island off North Andros not far from AUTEC, Atlantic Undersea Testing and Evaluation Center, where the U.S. Navy tests their submarines in the Tongue of the Ocean. I frequent Kamalame Cay and we sometimes keep our boat on Andros, it’s as interesting as it is remote - if you’re up for an adventure. There are several nice bonefish camps for avid fishermen and a new resort on distant South Andros featured on reality TV show “Renovation Island”. I wish the family restoring that resort the best of luck, Andros needs places like that to showcase the 100 miles of deserted beaches that exist there. To learn more about Andros, check out our History of The Bahamas Through Maps historical book or our custom map of the islands! Give us a call at 239-963-3497 if you have any questions! Check back for weekly snippets of history throughout the U.S., Caribbean and all over the world!
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Categories: Book Blog

Exumas Map

06 Oct
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I've been going to the Exumas since the late 1970s as a pilot. Flying down the Exuma chain is without a doubt the most beautiful island scene I have ever encountered. The colors of blue you see are incredible and our Exumas map gives you an idea of how they change with water depths, from light blues of the shallow Great Bahama Bank to the dark hues of Exuma Sound which can reach depths of over 5,000 feet. The drop off from Bank to Sound is sudden and steep where wall dives can be exciting as you look into the abyss with big groupers, snappers and sharks swimming around. We've kept a boat in the Bahamas for many years and have explored the Exumas from one end to end. The Ship Channel Cays and Highborne Cay in the north are favorites, with Iguanas to see on Allans Cay. I've flown into Staniel Cay often which offers boat access to "Thunderball" Grotto featured in an early James Bond movie and Big Majors Cay where the famous swimming pigs are seen. Further down the island chain things become more quiet and serene with many islands and remote beaches to visit with no one around. The Exumas are a world class boating destination and we're proud our map is on the wall of yachts that visit the area. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is one of the first marine sanctuaries in the world where all the marine life is protected and the fish can tell! They somehow know you can't catch or spear them so they swim right up to you while you gaze over the many queen conch which are still common on the bottom there. Our map of the Exumas is one of the more popular Bahamas maps for good reason. For more information on the Exumas map take a look at it here! Our history books of the Bahamas, Keys and Naples are also available on our site and on Amazon. Please call 239-963-3497 with any questions, we will be happy to assist you!
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Categories: Maps

Key West Map

02 Oct
0 137 Post by
Since I was a kid, Key West meant fishing to me and my parents would take me to the forts, museums and lighthouse. In my twenties the town meant more than fishing with parties, bars and girls! My interest in Key West became more serious when we started to make maps of Florida with a ten map series dedicated to the Keys and Dry Tortugas. Key West is a particularly important map because of the island's rich history and it's alluring nightlife, which is about all most people around the world know about the Keys. As with each of our maps, I go the location with the goal of making an attractive wall piece which visitors can understand and that locals approve of in terms of names and nuances. I made several dedicated trips to Key West and stayed in historic hotels. As I went to the various landmarks it surprised me I'd been to them before, a habit inherited from my parents, though I'm sure some of my visits were in an altered state. A love of history also got me started collecting antique maps many years ago. After finishing our map of Key West we started contemplating a coffee table book on the Keys which came to be in early 2020, The Florida Keys, A History Through Maps. It was only possible with my co-author who grew up in the Keys and also collects antique maps. Key West is an island city that was once the wealthiest and largest town in Florida, built on the back of shipwrecks along the Keys reef line. There's railroad history and much more to explore when you get there, maybe even a seafood restaurant and a bar or two! For more information on the Key West map and other maps visit our site here! Island Map Publishing has also recently release the Florida Keys A History Through Maps book that is available on our site and Amazon! Give us a call at 239-963-3497 with questions, we are happy to help!
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Categories: Maps

Making the New Zealand Map

21 Sep
0 111 Post by
The map of New Zealand is one of my all time favorites, the North and South islands that shape the country are perfectly framed and the process of creating the map was epic. I've made numerous trips to the island nation exploring it in the hands of friends who live there, what a beautiful country!

I made the map as a gift for a Kiwi friend on the South island who routinely leaves cases of the wine he makes "Middle Earth" at my house when he visits. We've toured the world together; Cuba, Panama, Bahamas, the American southwest, throughout Europe, Turkey and Russia. When I'm in New Zealand he takes me everywhere from lovely islands in the north to the southland region, even to the remote Chatham Islands far offshore.

I wanted to make a map worthy of the landscape and enlisted the help of another friend from New Zealand who spent his early years on tug boats and barges around the coasts of both islands. An example of his nautical expertise was a suggestion that the Humpback and Blue whales shown on our draft map be reversed based on where he saw them while operating vessels offshore (Blue whales being primarily in the extreme south, Humpbacks slightly further north, who knows that!)

The map further evolved when I visited my wine friend for a wild ride around New Zealand visiting spots I'd missed on earlier trips. We met other Kiwis who made map comments along the way using his truck, ferries, planes and helicopters for access. The result was a beautiful map which hangs on walls across New Zealand and is now on display at the gallery of Island Map Publishing in Naples.

To purchase the New Zealand map visit our site here or call 239-963-3497 for more details! Island Map Publishing is happy to work with you on special orders or assist the right product for your space.

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Categories: Maps
Florida Keys Map

The Florida Keys Map

16 Sep
0 103 Post by
In 2005 I started a company that makes maps of the Bahamas, Caribbean and Florida and in 2010 we finished a map of the Florida Keys.

We've sold and donated many Florida Keys maps over the years and now produce it in both bright colors and antique earth tones taken from an original map I own from 1695.

Like my antique map collection, we produce maps that are made to display on your wall. Before the digital age, printed maps were more common and for centuries beautiful wall maps were a sign of wealth and knowledge. We have recreated that art.

There's been renewed interest in the Florida Keys map since in March 2020 when our company (Island Map Publishing) released a new book "The Florida Keys, A History Through Maps". The book displays the Keys map in various ways, like to show the location of ship wrecks. We also created 10 enlarged area maps of the Keys from North Key Largo to Key West and the Dry Tortugas.

Both our maps of the Keys and our book are works I'm proud of. They both will be passed down through time as a way to convey information and history in an interesting way.

 

For more information on the Florida Keys map and options click here or call 239-963-3497! Our books are available at islandmapstore.com as well as well as Amazon. Be sure to also follow our Instagram for updates on our blog, press and upcoming events!

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Categories: Maps

The Making of The Bahamas Map

08 Sep
0 134 Post by
I created a map of The Bahamas in 2002 and it has improved ever since. The map is made to be an attractive and informative wall display and is not for navigation or other purposes. I collect antique maps, a hobby that even hundreds of years ago people would collect and display as a sign of wealth and knowledge. It's been rewarding to recreate such maps for modern times.

The Bahamas map and others we now produce are made combining elements from many different sources. We strive for accuracy and in most cases I physically visit the area of the map we're making. Local knowledge is important and it's best earned by going there!

Our map of The Bahamas is displayed in airports, businesses, homes and resorts throughout the U.S. and The Bahamas. It's on the walls of many yachts and cruise ships and I've even seen it hanging in the office of the Bahamian Prime Minister! The U.S. Embassy and Navy in Nassau have framed copies and it's displayed at U.S. Customs in Naples and in Bahamian Customs offices on several different islands.

Our company Island Map Publishing sells The Bahamas map at boat shows and online here, it makes a wonderful gift for island lovers. We now produce over a hundred maps that include the Bahamas, Caribbean, Florida and the entire eastern seaboard of the U.S.

For more information about our maps please call 239-963-3497 or visit our site. We also offer custom options and can work with you to find the best option for your space!

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Categories: Maps

The History of Key West

02 Sep
0 135 Post by
I’ve been going to Key West to fish since I was kid, in my twenties to party and in later years to do engineering work along the waterfront including a fast ferry dock, a marina and work for the City at Key West Bight. More recently I’ve been going for research on our new Florida Keys history book, The Florida Keys: A History Through Maps. Somewhere along the line I must have visited all of  the museums and historical sites; there are forts, lighthouses, Hemingway’s house, a museum in the old Customs House and many other sites to see! Key West is the most southern point in the continental United States, the end of the line for U.S. Highway 1 that begins in Maine and runs 2,390 miles to Key West, “Mile Marker 0”. The island was originally named Cayo Hueso, Spanish for “Bone Cay”. From Key West’s founding around 1822 to the later 1800s, the island city boomed as ships routinely wrecked on the long reef of the Florida Keys. Shipwrecks were salvaged by “wreckers” who could make claims on the cargo after they rescued the victims. Salvaged goods were sold in Key West making it, for a time, the richest and largest city in the state of Florida. Bahamian immigrants came into Key West to enjoy the bounty wrecking provided, adding fishing, farming, turtling, sponging, boat-building, salt-making and other industries. The U.S. Navy also occupied the island building facilities to protect America’s southern flank. As the 1800s progressed, a new chain of lighthouses and steam-powered ships improved navigation and eventually destroyed the Keys wrecking industry. This began a slow decline in the late 1800s, leaving little of the grandeur that had preceded it. During the Civil War the island remained in the Union, and vessels caught running the blockade into Confederate states were brought into the harbor where their cargos were sold at auction. This provided some relief, but after the war Key West continued to decline without shipwrecks to support the wreckers and the many industries that sustained them. Life in Key West improved when wars in Cuba brought immigrants who built the island’s cigar industry in the late 1800s. Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad reached Key West in 1912 and would endure until the 1935 hurricane ended train traffic for good. Before the storm hit, a new road was being build and the Overseas Highway was finished in 1938. It essentially extended to Havana, Cuba, with daily car ferries, but that came to an end when relations were cut off after Fidel Castro plunged the island into communism in 1959. Before and after Fidel, famous writers and celebrities like Ernest Hemingway made Key West home, and so it became to a growing population more dependent on tourism. In 1927 Pan Am started the first international scheduled flights in America, Key West to Cuba. A runway constructed during WWII was made public after the war and today serves to connect Key West to the world. It also makes life easy for me, one hour in my plane from Naples sure beats 6 hours in the car! For  more history on Key West and the other Florida Keys, check out the new Florida Keys: A History Through Maps and be sure to check out historical and decorative maps on the website! If you have any questions please call 239-963-3497.
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Categories: Book Blog

History of Marquesas Keys

24 Aug
0 140 Post by
The Marquesas Keys is a group of uninhabited islands I’ve passed by many times on the way to Fort Jefferson and Key West, yet I only stopped there once in 40 years! It once one of the least visited areas in the Keys, but this may be changing with today’s faster boats that can cover the 20 miles from Key West in no time. Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas are at least another 40 miles west.

The little island group may have been formed by a meteorite in the distant past leaving a round water body known as Mooney Harbor, some four miles in diameter. The area is known for great fishing and diving and as recently as 1980 was used for target practice by the military (after clearing out fishermen and tourists). It’s now protected within the Key West National Wildlife Refuge.

There was a 50-foot-tall lighthouse called Cosgrove Shoal Light from 1921 to 1935. Prior to construction, many ships sank and the area is littered with shipwrecks, ten or more within a couple miles of the islands and another very famous wreck further west.

The Marquesas were named after the Marquis de Cadereita, commander of the 1622 Spanish Treasure Fleet that was partially sunk in a hurricane en route from Havana, Cuba to Spain. Three treasure laden galleons were among the fleet including the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, the Santa Margarita and the Nuestra Señora del Rosario. The Atocha sank west of the Marquesas with only five survivors of the 265 aboard. The galleon broke up gradually as the hurricane pushed her across the seabed, depositing the valuable cargo on the bottom along the way. Three sailors and two slaves–survived by holding onto the remains of the mizzenmast which stayed above water. A Spanish merchant vessel rescued the survivors so the location was known, but salvage at the remote site was never accomplished until recent times.

In 1985, chicken farmer turned treasure hunter Kane, Mel Fisher’s son, radioed in, “Put away the charts, we’ve found the main pile!” He had located remains of the treasure west of the Marquesas after his father, family and crew spent sixteen years looking. Tragically in 1975, Mel’s son Kirk, Kirk’s wife Angel and diver Rick Gage were killed when their steel salvage boat capsized at night and sank.

The now famous Atocha cargo included: 24 tons of silver in 1,038 ingots 18,000 pesos in silver coins 582 copper ingots 125 gold bars and discs 350 chests of indigo 525 bales of tobacco 1,200 pounds of worked silver A horde of emeralds smuggled aboard to avoid Spanish taxation

For more history on the Marquesas Keys and the other Florida Keys, check out The Florida Keys: A History Through Maps! If you have any questions or wish to see more products from Island Map Store, including our antique map, check out our website here or call 239-963-3497.

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Categories: Book Blog

Sugarloaf Key to Stock Island: A Brief History

19 Aug
0 136 Post by
When flying at low altitude over the Keys, I can easily see where man made projections of land are along the Overseas Highway. This is where railroad men in the early 1900s used fill to connect areas of dry land and/or to shorten bridges. Friends of mine have rented or owned houses on Sugarloaf over the years and I remember flying down to the little airstrip there from Naples to “rescue” friends that were trapped after Hurricane Andrew closed sections of highway around Miami. The iconic Bat Tower was still standing near the Sugarloaf Lodge, though it’s purpose to control mosquitos never worked out.

In 1909 two brothers, Charles and George Chase, namesakes of the railroad’s nearby Chase Station, bought land on Sugarloaf and proceeded to pioneer efforts to grow sponges in the Keys, beginning in Sugarloaf Sound. The community of Chase was born, complete with a post office, housing and commercial buildings but the sponging venture failed and the town disappeared after the First World War. The name Sugarloaf likely came from a variety of pineapple once grown in the Keys, the “Sugarloaf”, or a nearby Indian mound resembling an old-fashioned loaf of sugar.

The Saddlebunch Keys, just west of Sugarloaf, are comprised of mostly mangroves and then there are small, uninhabited islands both north and south of the Highway until one arrives on Big Coppitt Key. The name Coppitt is said to be a derivation of the Old English word coppice, meaning “thicket.” Geiger Key is south of Big Coppitt at the southeastern corner of Boca Chica. An early Keys settler, Henry Geiger, obtained the land under the Armed Occupation Act of 1842, which was as an incentive to populate Florida if one met certain conditions to settle and remain on land for specified amounts of time to gain title, “Armed” because Indians were still a big threat to settlers.

Boca Chica is Spanish for “small mouth,” which may have referred to the narrow channel on the island’s western side now adjacent to Naval Air Station Key West (NAS Key West). Boca Chica is mostly salt marsh and mangroves but it’s home to a state-of-the-art training facility for air-to-air combat aircraft of all military services. Driving through the Keys one can often spot jet aircraft overhead and I’ve marveled at seeing some climb vertically into the sky.

Stock Island is the last island stop before entering Key West. The name comes predictably from herds of livestock that were once corralled there. Much of the island was altered by railroad crews recruited from adjacent Key West when jobs were scarce. They used the combination of “men, mules, dynamite and wheelbarrows” to prepare the land with fill and build up the roadbed for the coming railroad. The work was completed in 1907 with 200 men whose goal was to “complete 50 feet of fill per day” in preparation for the arrival of Flagler’s train in 1912. Stock Island was home to the Keys pink shrimp fleet and now has several nice marinas. Many commercial fishing boats still operate from there along with please boats.

For more information on Sugarloaf Key and neighboring islands check out The Florida Keys: A History Through Maps! Please call 239-963-3497 or visit our website here.

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