American Bay (also Amerikanskaia, 1883 name by Etolin) is a

waterway A waterway is any Navigability, navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. It is located on the east side of

Dall Island Dall Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago off the southeast coast of Alaska, just west of Prince of Wales Island and north of Canadian waters. Its peak elevation is above sea level. Its land area is , making it the 28th largest isl ...

, facing

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

across Kaigani Strait.

Geography

This bay indents the Dall Island shore a little more than in a general southwest by south direction, with a width of about . On the north side of the bay, within the entrance, is a group of four wooded islets, called Hay Islets, connected with each other and with the shore at low water. Southwest of them is Anchorage Cove, where good anchorage may be found in 15 fathoms. The shores of American Bay are free from dangers, and the water, particularly on the south side, is deep. Northeast of the northern entrance point of American Bay, is a shoal patch measuring from 9 to 16 fathoms. Immediately opposite the entrance to American Bay a reef, showing at low water, extends nearly 1 cable to the southwest from the Long Island shore with deep water close-to. How-Kan Narrows, a name given by local navigators to the contracted passage lying above American Bay is about wide.

History

During the first decades of the 19th century, American Bay was a favorite anchorage of maritime fur traders, especially Americans sailing out of Boston. Along with Datzkoo Harbor and the Kaigani Harbors, a few miles to the south and several large

Haida villages This is a list of Haida people, Haida villages, located in Haida Gwaii and Prince of Wales Island (Alaska), Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. The following list includes material from John R. Swanton, John R. Swanton's ''The Indian Tribes of North ...

that were in the vicinity at the time, this general area was known as " Kaigani" to late 18th and early 19th century maritime fur traders. It was one of the most popular fur trading sites on the Pacific Northwest Coast, where maritime fur traders would trade with the indigenous

Haida people The Haida (, , , , ) are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. They constitute one of 203 First Nations in British Columbia and 231 federally recognized List of Alaska Native tribal entities, tribes in Alaska. T ...

. Over a hundred fur trading ships visited American Bay and the Kaigani Harbors in the early 19th century. Datzkoo Harbor was known at the time as Taddiskey, Tattasco, and Taddy's Cove. A trading post of the Northwest Trading Company was established on American Bay in about 1883. The buildings were still visible in 1891.

Geology

A deposit of schistose marble was reported on the south side of American Bay. The deposit is more than 500 yards wide, stands about vertical, strikes east, and is mostly covered by moss and timber. The marble is both fine and coarse grained and contains mica.

References

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Bibliography

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External links