1948 Jones Pictorial Map of Kodiak Island, Alaska

This is a 1948 Lowell E. Jones pictorial map of Kodiak, Alaska. The map was issued to encourage tourism in the wake of the opening of the Alaska Highway to civilian traffic and the founding of Chilkoot Motorship Lines in Homer, providing public access to Kodiak Island for the first time.

A Closer Look

Oriented to the east, the map depicts the whole of Kodiak Island from Shelikof Strait to Sitkaudak Island and from Olga Bay to Afgonak Island. Near center, a Kodiak bear stands on its hind legs waving, while a second bear appears at upper left. Additionally, caribou, eagles, and other wildlife are also included. Numerous bays, straits, and smaller islands are labeled throughout. Inhabited locations are few and far between, the town of Kodiak merits a star, while all other settlements appear to either be canneries or indigenous settlements. The site of the first European settlement in Alaska, which per the map was established in 1784, is marked near Three Saints Bay. Half a dozen boats make their way through the waters surrounding Kodiak Island, some of which are steam vessels while others are sailing ships. On the verso there is a pictorial map of Alaska, information about Kodiak, a bird's eye view of the city, and a charming illustration of a Kodiak bear.

Publication History and Census

This map was produced and copyrighted by Lowell E. Jones in 1948. The map is undated, but we are following David Rumsey's date of 1948. We note four examples cataloged in OCLC: Library of Congress, the University of Washington, the Alaska State Library, and the UAA/APU Consortium Library. An example is also found in the David Rumsey Map Collection.