1939 Map of Encantada

About this map

Deep South Texas ranching and petroleum production converge in this 1939 survey of Brooks and Starr counties. The landscape is defined by vast family-held holdings, including Encantada Ranch, La Puerta Ranch, and Encinitas Ranch, interspersed with an extensive network of artesian wells and windmills. The era's growing energy infrastructure is clearly visible through the development of the Alta Mesa Oil Field and the Kelsey Bass Oil Field, supported by the Humble Oil & Refining Co and the Pasotex Pipeline. Small community clusters like Guerra and E Juarez appear alongside numerous named ranch headquarters such as Sta Elena Ranch and Buena Vista Ranch, providing a window into the settlement patterns of the Rio Grande Plain before mid-century modernization.