1972 Map of El Sauz

About this map

Sixto Oil and Gas Field and Lockhart Field define this south Texas landscape, where energy extraction and cattle ranching have left their mark on the arid terrain of Starr County. Captured in the early 1970s, the map reveals a network of industrial infrastructure, including scattered oil wells, drill holes, and numerous windmills such as Salado Windmill and Rodeo Windmill that sustained remote outposts like El Negro Ranch. Water management is central to the area's geography, shown through features like San Idelfonso Tank, Lake Kimberly, and El Leoncito Tank. The small settlement of El Sauz, located along the western edge near El Sauz Creek, serves as a primary point of reference in an area otherwise characterized by drainage systems like Los Olmos Creek and the brush-covered plains typical of the Rio Grande valley hinterlands.