Ralston Island
Encyclopedia
Ralston Island is a small island in the Alexander Archipelago
, northwest of Lincoln Island
and northwest of Juneau, Alaska
, U.S.A.
. It was named in 1868 by Commander R. W. Meade, USN
, for W. C. Ralston
; the name was published by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in the 1883 Coast Pilot. The first Europe
an to sight the island was Joseph Whidbey
, master of the HMS Discovery
during George Vancouver
's 1791-95 expedition
, in 1794.
Alexander Archipelago
The Alexander Archipelago is a long archipelago, or group of islands, of North America off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, which are the tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. Deep channels and fjords separate the...
, northwest of Lincoln Island
Lincoln Island (Alaska)
Lincoln Island is a wooded island in Lynn Canal in Alaska, United States. Located at , the island is northwest of Shelter Island and southeast of Ralston Island. It is part of the Juneau City and Borough. The first European to sight the island was Joseph Whidbey, master of the HMS Discovery during...
and northwest of Juneau, Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
, U.S.A.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was named in 1868 by Commander R. W. Meade, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, for W. C. Ralston
William Chapman Ralston
William "Billy" Chapman Ralston was a San Francisco, California businessman and financier, and was the founder of the Bank of California.-Biography:...
; the name was published by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in the 1883 Coast Pilot. The first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an to sight the island was Joseph Whidbey
Joseph Whidbey
Joseph Whidbey was a member of the Royal Navy who served on the Vancouver Expedition 1791–1795, and later achieved renown as a naval engineer. He is notable for having been the first European to discover and chart Admiralty Island in the Alexander Archipelago in 1794.Little is recorded of...
, master of the HMS Discovery
HMS Discovery (1789)
HMS Discovery was a Royal Navy ship launched in 1789 and best known as the lead ship in George Vancouver's exploration of the west coast of North America in his famous 1791-1795 expedition. She was converted to a bomb vessel in 1798 and participated in the Battle of Copenhagen. Thereafter she...
during George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
's 1791-95 expedition
Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
, in 1794.