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1972 Map of La Reforma

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of La Reforma
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1993
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1993

About this map

The La Reforma Oil and Gas Field dominates this South Texas landscape where the county line between Starr and Hidalgo counties remains an indefinite boundary. This 1972 survey, updated in the early 1990s, documents a rural economy driven by petroleum extraction and ranching infrastructure. Scattered settlements like La Reforma and Puerto Rico are surrounded by a dense network of windmills and water wells named for local families and landmarks, such as the Bella Vista Windmill, Noche Buena Windmill, and Christalinas Windmill.

Genealogists will find a concentration of burial sites and religious landmarks, including Santa Rita Cem, Santa Monica Cem, and the Guadalupe Toreros Church. These features, alongside the Torrero Cem and Santa Guadalupe Cem, illustrate the deeply rooted communities of the Rio Grande Valley. Industrial markers such as the Alto Bonito Well (Flowing) and numerous drill holes underscore the region's energy development during this period.