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1954 Map of Caplen

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Caplen
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Bolivar Peninsula stretches between the Gulf of Mexico and East Bay in this mid-1950s depiction of coastal Texas. Small settlements like Caplen and Patton dot the narrow strip of land, which is defined by a dense network of industrial activity including numerous Oil Wells, Oil Tanks, and a prominent Oil Derrick near the shore. The industrial character of the coast is further emphasized by the presence of the Intracoastal Waterway, which was maintained at a Project Depth 12 Feet to support maritime commerce.

Water and marshland dominate the landscape, with Crab Lake and several drainages like Yates Bayou and Big Pasture Bayou cutting into the peninsula from the bay side. In the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the map notes navigational hazards such as Masts Exposed, indicating the presence of shipwrecks just off the sandy beach. This survey provides a precise look at the transition from natural wetlands to a working oil-producing coastline before modern developments altered the shore further.