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1943 Map of Chocolate Bay

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Chocolate Bay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Hoskins Mound dominates the southwestern corner of this coastal landscape, serving as a hub for industrial and logistical activity during the early 1940s. The site features an intricate network of infrastructure including a Missouri Pacific rail line, a substation, and several Sulphur Wells that highlight the region's extraction-based economy. To the north, Chocolate Bayou snakes through the lowlands, passing distinctive river features like Horseshoe Bend and the small settlement at Peterson Landing.

The transition from inland bayous to the open waters of Chocolate Bay and West Bay is marked by a complex system of marshes and smaller inlets such as Lost Bay and Oyster Lake. The presence of the Intracoastal Waterway cutting across the coastal marshes underscores the importance of maritime shipping routes connecting these Texas wetlands to the broader Gulf network. This survey, mapped by the Army Map Service, documents the precise shoreline and dredging projects like the Humble Cut just before mid-century changes altered the coast.