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1936 Map of Laguna Vista

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Laguna Vista
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Laguna Madre and the expansive waters of Bahia Grande define this coastal landscape of South Texas during the mid-1940s. The map illustrates a complex network of low-lying ridges and islands, such as Redhead Ridge and Bird Island, which shaped the early transportation routes across the wetlands. Inland from the Gulf, the settlement of Laguna Vista appears near the junction of the Rio Grande Valley road and the Port Isabel Road, serving as a focal point for the region's developing infrastructure.

Evidence of historical transit is scattered throughout the terrain, including the Old Railroad Grade and numerous crossings like Carretas Crossing and La Aura Crossing. These features reflect a landscape where travel was dictated by the tides and the shifting boundaries of Laguna Larga and San Martin Lake. The presence of small localities like Esoes suggests the modest footprint of human settlement in this ecologically diverse transition zone between the prairie and the sea.