1957 Map of Botella Creek

About this map

San Ambrosia Creek and Botella Creek wind through this stretch of South Texas, defining a landscape shaped by intermittent water sources and ranching life. Revised by the 8th Engineers during the mobilization of the 1940s and published as a civil edition in 1957, the map shows a specialized system of artificial water catchments like English Tank, Indio Tank, and Palo Blanco Tank that were essential for livestock in the arid brush country along the Maverick and Dimmit County line. Family ranching legacies are anchored at sites such as Hamilton Ranch, San Pedro Ranch, and Tovar Ranch. This survey captures the rural infrastructure of the mid-twentieth century, including the numerous water tanks and scattered ranch complexes that supported the local cattle industry well before modern development altered the remote boundary lands.