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1916 Map of La Porte

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of La Porte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1916
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1916

About this map

San Jacinto Battlefield overlooks the confluence of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou, anchoring a landscape defined by the growing maritime commerce of the early twentieth century. This survey documents the Houston-Galveston Ship Channel as it bypasses Peggy Lake and Scott Bay, cutting through a complex of low-lying islands like Busch Island and Spilman Island. The shoreline of Galveston Bay is dotted with coastal developments such as Sylvan Beach, Sylvain, and Oaks, reflecting the area's emerging role as a recreational and residential destination.

Inland, the Southern Pacific System railroad dictates the pattern of settlement, linking the depot at La Porte Sta with smaller nodes like Strang, Lomax, and Deer Park. The presence of the Lomax School and numerous surveyed lots within La Porte and East La Porte indicate a period of active town planning and expansion. Navigating this coastal prairie are numerous drainage features, including Willow Bayou and Little Cedar Bayou, which frame the early industrial and agricultural tracts of Harris County.