1955 Map of Fort Brown

About this map

The Rio Grande snakes through the southern tip of Texas, defining the international boundary between the United States and Mexico. This mid-century landscape is dominated by the sprawling city of Brownsville, where the historical Fort Brown reservation stands near the river’s edge. The surrounding terrain is a network of irrigation ditches, flumes, and old river oxbows known as resacas, including Resaca de la Palma and Resaca del Rancho Viejo. These water features supported agricultural interests like the Brulay Plantation and English Farms. Civil War history is preserved at the Palmito Hill Battlefield to the east, marked by a Historical Monument. The infrastructure of the era is evident in the Brownsville Ship Channel and the Rio Grande Valley International Airport, illustrating the city's role as a vital maritime and aviation hub during the 1950s.