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1943 Map of Lake Stephenson

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Lake Stephenson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The coastal wetlands of Chambers County are meticulously documented in this mid-century survey, conducted by the Army Map Service and U.S. Geological Survey during the Second World War. The landscape is dominated by the vast Gordy Marsh and Willow Marsh, areas where land and water intersect through a network of bayous and lakes. Local community life centers on the southwestern peninsula, where Smith Point Road terminates near the Smith Point School and the Frankland Cemetery.

The presence of numerous windmills scattered across the marshes suggests a reliance on groundwater for the small, isolated settlements and livestock operations of the era. Positioned between Trinity Bay and East Bay, the map captures a transition point in the Texas Gulf Coast before extensive modern coastal development, detailing features like Lake Surprise and the shallow Wallis Lake that characterize the low-lying terrain of the Lone Oak vicinity.