1952 Map of Long Island

About this map

Matagorda Island serves as the dominant barrier between the Gulf of Mexico and the shallow estuarine systems of the Texas coast. This 1952 topography, photoinspected in the early 1970s, reveals a landscape defined by military utility and maritime transit. A significant portion of the barrier is occupied by the Matagorda Island Bombing and Gunnery Range, while the Intracoastal Waterway cuts a straight line through the mud flats and shoals of Espiritu Santo Bay. The complex hydrology of the area is mapped through a series of interconnected water bodies including Pringle Lake, Contee Lake, and South Pass Lake. These shallow lakes and narrow channels like Steamboat Pass illustrate the shifting, silt-heavy environment of the coastal marshes, where features like Josephine Reef and the First Chain of Islands provide the only breaks in the open water.