1952 Map of Hawk Island

About this map

The Laguna Madre defines this coastal landscape at the junction of Willacy and Cameron counties, where the tidal flats and marshy islands create a complex interface between land and sea. This 1952 survey, photorevised in 1970, captures the transitional environment of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge before extensive modern development. The map reveals a remote ranching and maritime landscape, marked by numerous named wells such as La Oveja Well and Guilotal Well that reflect the essential search for freshwater in this saline environment. The Arroyo Colorado winds through the lower portion of the sheet, while the Intracoastal Waterway cuts through the Spoil Banks, showing the early 20th-century infrastructure that opened this stretch of the Texas coast to commercial navigation. Names like Chubby Island and Goose Hill highlight the local nomenclature of the South Texas brush country and its barrier islands.