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1952 Map of Cedar Lakes West

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Cedar Lakes West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Cedar Lake Creek winds through the coastal marshlands of the upper Texas Gulf Coast, marking the shifting boundary between Brazoria and Matagorda counties. This 1952 topographic record illustrates the industrial and maritime infrastructure of the early 1950s, dominated by the Intracoastal Waterway running parallel to the shoreline. Large Spoil Banks line the canal, evidence of the massive dredging operations required to maintain a Project Depth 12 Feet.

Remote coastal life is represented by a network of scattered windmills and a notable Pontoon Bridge spanning the marsh near Dead Caney Lake. The map details the complex hydrology of the region, from the wide expanse of Cow Trap Lake to the narrow Cocklebur Slough. Early petroleum exploration is also visible through several isolated Oil Wells and a canal marked as Abandoned, providing a spatial look at mid-century resource extraction along the Gulf of Mexico.