1962 Map of Hamshire

About this map

The coastal prairie of Jefferson and Chambers counties was defined by the extraction economy of the early 1960s, a landscape where traditional agricultural roads met an intensive network of petroleum infrastructure. Central to the region is Hamshire, situated along the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe railroad, which served as a primary transportation artery for the area's industries. The map illustrates a massive industrial footprint, specifically within the Fannett Oil Field, Stowell Oil Field, and the Big Hill Oil Field, where dozens of individual oil wells, sulphur wells, and pumping stations are meticulously recorded.