1956 Map of Brownsville

About this map

The southern tip of Texas and the borderlands of the lower Rio Grande define this mid-century landscape. Centered on the growing agricultural and transit hubs of Harlingen and Brownsville, the map shows a region heavily shaped by water management and maritime trade. The Brownsville Ship Channel and the Intracoastal Waterway cut through the coastal lagoons, connecting inland ports to the Gulf of Mexico via Brazos Santiago Pass. Along the coast, the Padre Island National Seashore and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge preserve the barrier island and wetland environments before major modern development.