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1961 Map of Crystal City

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Crystal City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The Nueces River and Frio River basins anchor this mid-century survey of South Texas, revealing a landscape defined by ranching, water management, and the early expansion of the regional energy sector. The density of irrigation infrastructure, including the Boynton Reservoir, Upper Reservoir, and Zavala Co Reservoir, highlights the intensive agricultural efforts around Crystal City and Carrizo Springs. These water sources, alongside natural features like Espantosa Lake and Bermuda Lake, supported a network of settlements connected by the Missouri Pacific railroad.

Industrial development is visible through numerous labeled Oil Fields scattered across the brush country, particularly as one moves toward Tilden and George West. Significant terrain markers such as Pilot Knob and Dos Hermanos Peak stand out against the relatively flat plains. This period shows a region transitioning from a purely pastoral economy to one increasingly shaped by modern extraction and engineering.