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1944 Map of Burnett Bay

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Burnett Bay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

The San Jacinto River meanders through a complex landscape of coastal bayous and cypress lakes just before the Second World War. This 1944 edition, mapped by the Tennessee Valley Authority for the Corps of Engineers, captures the industrial and agricultural transition of Eastern Harris County. The historic crossing at Lynchburg and the nearby San Jacinto State Park anchor the southern portion of the sheet, while the emerging communities of Highlands, McNair, and Channelview show the early suburbanization following the rail lines of the Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific.

Evidence of the region's rural past remains visible in landmarks like the McGhee School, White Cem, and Mc Ghee Cem. The mapping reveals a dynamic water system, from the oxbows of Heads Bend to the massive East Reservoir and the Goose Creek extension, then under construction. The presence of the U S Reservation and extensive canal systems like those along Fig Orchard Road reflects the heavy federal and state investment in the Texas Gulf Coast's infrastructure during this era.