1943 Map of High Island

About this map

High Island stands as a prominent salt dome rising above the surrounding Lower Marsh, serving as a critical coastal hub during the early 1940s. This survey, based on 1942 aerial photography, documents the area's transition from a rail-dependent landscape to an energy-producing one, as the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe railroad is already marked as abandoned while a dense network of Oil Wells, Oil Tanks, and a Water Tank dominates the town's immediate vicinity. Along the coast at Gilchrist, the proximity to the Gulf of Mexico is balanced by the industrial importance of the Intracoastal Waterway, which cuts through the marsh to facilitate maritime transport. The landscape is defined by intricate tidal features such as Mussel Point, Devils Elbow, and the meandering courses of Onion Bayou and East Bay Bayou. Local family history is rooted in the small settlement core, which includes a Cem and Clark Lake.