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1955 Map of Crystal City

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Crystal City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Nueces River and its major tributaries, the Frio River and Atascosa River, define the landscape of this South Texas region in the mid-1950s. Settlement patterns follow the established corridors of the Missouri Pacific railroad, which links major ranching and shipping hubs like Crystal City, Pearsall, and Cotulla. The map documents a period of significant petroleum development, marked by the expansive Washburn Oil Field and San Miguel Oil Field situated among the brush country and intermittent creeks.

Water management is vital to this semi-arid environment, shown through features like Espantosa Lake, Lookout Reservoir, and Boynton Reservoir. Isolated elevations such as Pilot Knob and Dos Hermanos Peak stand as prominent landmarks above the undulating plains. This survey offers a detailed view of the infrastructure supporting both the traditional ranching economy and the emerging energy sector across several counties including Zavala, Frio, and La Salle.