Description
Cenotaph Island is located in Lituya Bay, in Glacier Bay National Monument, 3 mi. NE of Harbor Point, 86 mi. NW of Hoonah, Malaspina Coastal Plain
History
Named "Isle du Caenotaphe" in 1786 by Captain La Perouse (1797, atlas 19), in memory of 26 members of his crew who, in that year, were drowned at th e mouth of Lituya Bay when their two boats were caught in a strong ebb tide. A cenotaph, or memorial, was erected at that time on the southeast end of the island to commemorate the event, but no trace of it has been found. The island was called "O(strov) Yaichnoy," meaning "egg island," by Captain Tebenkov (1852, map 7), Imperial Russian Navy (IRN).