1956 Map of Andrea Ranch

About this map

Artesian wells and windmills define the remote livestock economy of the South Texas brush country along the border of Hidalgo and Kenedy counties. This 1950s survey of the Andrea Ranch area reveals a landscape where survival depended on the strategic placement of water sources like the Buenos Aires Artesian Well and the Martillo Artesian Well. The abundance of named wells—such as Tres Chivos Artesian Well and Medio Millon Well—illustrates the intensive ranching infrastructure required in this arid environment. The map also documents the Stillman Loading Pens, a critical point for gathering cattle before shipment, and the distinctive marshy lowlands of Los Cayos de lo Malo. This era of ranching is captured before modern industrial changes, showing a network of private roads and windmills like the Copita Windmill that sustained these sprawling family-held lands.