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1938 Map of Guanica

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of Guanica
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1938
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1938

About this map

The industrial hub of Central Guanica anchor this 1930s coastal landscape, revealing the economic engine of southwestern Puerto Rico before mid-century modernization. The map documents the extensive sugar mill operations at Ensenada, where the Guanica Central railroad and the Linea de los Negros provided essential transport for the region's agricultural output. These rail lines connected the docks at Guanica Harbor to the inland fields, while a nearby Golf Course and several schools, including Escuela Ceiba, reflect the social structure surrounding the mill.

Natural features like the Laguna de Guanica and the protected Bosque Insular de Guanica Yauco y Guayanilla contrast with the engineered landscape of irrigation and industry. Coastal navigation is marked by the Guanica LH and numerous points along the shore, including Pta Brea and Fronton de la Brea. From the salt flats of Salinas to the town of Guanica, the map captures a rare look at the island's southern coast at the height of the sugar era.