American Bay facts for kids
American Bay is a bay in Alaska, a state in the United States. It's on the east side of Dall Island. The bay faces Long Island across a narrow waterway called Kaigani Strait. It was named "Amerikanskaia" in 1883 by Etolin.
Exploring American Bay's Geography
American Bay cuts into the shore of Dall Island for a little over 1 mile (about 1.6 kilometers). It's about 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) wide.
On the north side of the bay, about 0.25 miles (0.4 kilometers) from the entrance, you'll find a group of four small, tree-covered islands. These are called Hay Islets. At low tide, you can walk between them and to the main shore.
Southwest of these islets is Anchorage Cove. This is a good spot for ships to drop anchor, as the water is about 90 feet (27 meters) deep. The shores of American Bay are safe for boats. The water is quite deep, especially on the south side.
Northeast of the bay's northern entrance, there's a shallow area. The water here is between 54 and 96 feet (16 to 29 meters) deep. Right across from the bay's entrance, a reef (a rocky area) sticks out from the Long Island shore. This reef shows at low tide and extends about 600 feet (183 meters) southwest. Even so, the water close to it is deep.
About 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers) above American Bay are the How-Kan Narrows. Local sailors gave this name to the narrow passage, which is about 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) wide.
American Bay's History and Trade
In the early 1800s, American Bay was a popular spot for maritime fur traders. These were sailors, often from Boston, who traded animal furs. This area, including Datzkoo Harbor and the Kaigani Harbors nearby, was known as "Kaigani".
It was one of the busiest fur trading places on the Pacific Northwest Coast. Fur traders would meet and trade with the local Haida people. Over 100 fur trading ships visited American Bay and the Kaigani Harbors in the early 1800s. Datzkoo Harbor had other names back then, like Taddiskey or Taddy's Cove.
Around 1883, the Northwest Trading Company set up a trading post in American Bay. The buildings from this post could still be seen in 1891.
Geology of American Bay
On the south side of American Bay, there's a deposit of a type of rock called schistose marble. This rock is more than 500 yards (457 meters) wide. It stands almost straight up and runs east. Most of it is covered by moss and trees. The marble can be fine-grained or coarse-grained and contains a mineral called mica.
