1952 Map of Francitas NE

About this map

Petroleum infrastructure defines the coastal prairie landscape of this 1952 survey, where the North Francitas Oil Field and Little Kentucky Field underscore the regional industrial activity of the early 1950s. The map captures a transition in land use, marked by a network of drainage structures and an extensive Levee system designed to manage water across the flat terrain. Along the meandering path of East Carancahua Creek, an Indefinite Boundary Survey of 1907 reflects a long-standing cartographic challenge at the intersection of Jackson and Matagorda Counties. Isolated Oil Wells, a Pumping Station, and clustered Oil Tanks are scattered throughout, linked by State Highway 111. This area, which also includes the Midfield Field, demonstrates how the mid-century oil boom integrated with the hydraulic engineering of the Gulf Coast watershed.