1969 Map of Gooch Lake

About this map

Gooch Lake and the smaller Saleh Lake lie within a landscape defined by closed depressions and the agricultural patterns of the Texas High Plains. Surveyed in the late 1960s, this area spans the Lynn Co Dawson Co line, where the local economy transitioned between ranching and the emerging petroleum industry. Isolated Oil Well symbols and several Gravel Pit sites are scattered across the terrain, indicating the subsurface extraction that complemented traditional land use. The southeastern corner is anchored by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, which historically served the small settlements of Hindman and Grandview. These locations, along with the community of Lynn, represent the sparse but critical network of rail-stop hamlets that provided essential shipping points for local cotton and grain producers during this era.