1922 Map of La Sal Vieja

About this map

La Sal Vieja dominates the lower portion of this landscape, its large salt lake basins providing a stark contrast to the surrounding terrain of South Texas. Surveyed in the early 1920s, the map reveals a ranch-based economy defined by isolated family holdings such as Andres Ranch and San Jose de los Llanitos Ranch. This was a period of transition for the region, where the vast open spaces of Hidalgo, Kenedy, and Willacy counties were increasingly connected to the outside world. The St Louis Brownsville and Mexico railroad cuts a straight north-south line through the eastern portion of the sheet, providing vital transportation for remote outposts like Rudolph and Yturria. The density of named ranches, including La Tordilla Ranch and Jesus Maria Ranch, illustrates the localized footprint of development in this brush country before the expansion of more modern infrastructure.