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2019 Map of Hillister

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Hillister
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Big Thicket National Preserve occupies much of the northern landscape in this corner of Tyler County, where the dense hydrology of the Piney Woods is on full display. The area is defined by the winding paths of Big Cypress Cr and Little Cypress Cr, which feed an extensive network of named bodies of water including Urland Lake, Barclay Lake, and Boykin Lake Number 1. These waterways and their surrounding wetlands reflect a classic East Texas environment where timber and water resources shaped local development.

Settlement patterns are concentrated around Ivanhoe and the community of Hillister, with numerous secondary roads like Timber Rd 14 hinting at the area's forest-based economy. For genealogists, the map preserves the locations of several burial grounds, including Mount Pisgah Cem near the northern boundary, and Justis Cem and Williams Cem further south. The detailed road network, from FM 256 to the many numbered county roads, provides a clear view of how these rural communities remained connected through the dense thicket.