1956 Map of Los Amigos Windmill

About this map

Water management defines life in this Kenedy County landscape, where the expanse of Laguna Madre meets a coastal plain dominated by shifting sand dunes. The 1956 topography, updated in the mid-1970s, reveals a network of named wells and windmills essential for ranching in an area of frequent tidal inundation. Clusters of infrastructure like the Los Amigos Windmill and Santa Cruz Windmill dot the interior, while artesian sources such as Andres Artesian Well and Toro Artesian Well are situated closer to the sand and mud flats of the shoreline. The interaction between the maritime environment of Cayo Soledad and the terrestrial ranching features provides a detailed look at the rural economy of the Texas Gulf Coast during this era. Long stretches of fence lines crisscross the terrain, marking property boundaries and grazing divisions across the Rincon de la Soledad.