1943 Map of Christmas Point

About this map

Follets Island and the protective barrier of Mud Island define this coastal stretch of the Texas Gulf, mapped during the mid-1940s by the Army Map Service. The landscape is dominated by the intricate hydrological connections of Christmas Bay, Bastrop Bay, and Drum Bay, all linked by the prominent Intracoastal Waterway cutting through the marshlands. Notable landmarks like Christmas Point and Rattlesnake Point mark the transition between open water and the low-lying terrain of Bastrop Bayou. Local history researchers can trace the natural shoreline before later development, identifying specific features such as Titum Tuttum Bayou, Arcadia Reef, and Cedar Cut. The map captures the quiet, pre-modern state of the coast, where only a few light-duty roads provided access to the water's edge, and San Luis Pass served as the primary opening to the Gulf of Mexico.