Loading map...

1985 Map of Cotulla

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Cotulla
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1992
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1992

About this map

The Nueces River winds through this South Texas landscape, anchoring a region defined by cattle ranching and early transportation corridors during the mid-1980s. The Missouri Pacific railroad serves as a primary north-south spine, connecting the county seat of Cotulla with smaller rail-aligned settlements like Artesia Wells and Encinal. This network reflects the era's reliance on rail for moving goods across the semi-arid brush country, contrasted by the presence of an Old Railroad Grade that hints at former routes no longer in service.

Water sources are critical markers in this environment, with features such as Espantosa Slough, Buckhorn Lake, and numerous intermittent creeks like San Roque Creek and Caiman Creek shaping the distribution of ranching outposts. Small communities such as Catarina, Asherton, and the aptly named Los Angeles dot the western reaches, while Piloncillo Hill provides a rare topographic landmark in the otherwise steady terrain. For the researcher, the map preserves the exact alignment of ranch roads and boundary lines between Dimmit, La Salle, and Webb counties.