Loading map...

1938 Map of El Sauz

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of El Sauz
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Major W. H. Waugh and the Corps of Engineers documented this landscape of South Texas ranching culture just before the mid-century. The terrain is defined by an intricate network of family-held estates and ephemeral watercourses, where the Zapata Co Starr Co line cuts through a series of named ranchlands. From the Belen Ranch in the north to the Agua Dulce Ranch in the west, these settlements were the primary hubs of local life and industry.

Evidence of early 20th-century commerce is centered around the La Presurosa Store, a rare non-ranch landmark in this territory. The natural drainage of the land is meticulously mapped through features like Los Barroso Creek and Arroyo Grande, which dictated the placement of homesteads such as Las Escobas Ranch. A solitary Gas Well in the southwest suggests the early diversification of the region's economy beyond cattle.