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1920 Map of Mikeska

Name: 1920 Topographic Map of Mikeska
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1920
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1920

About this map

Oakville and the nearby Three Rivers are central nodes in this South Texas tactical study, situated where the Nueces River and San Antonio river systems converge. The map documents an era of transition for the region, highlighting the emergence of George West and the presence of the San Antonio Uvalde and Gulf Railroad, which was added to the topographic data in late 1918. The landscape is defined by its ranching economy, with dozens of named family holdings such as the O'Connor Ranch, Lyons Ranch, and Byrne Ranch dotting the brush country between hills like San Cajo and the Rosalier Hills.

A critical network of water sources sustains this arid environment, evidenced by labels for the White Creek Well, Rincone Well, and several Artesian Wells. Movement across the terrain relied on specific river crossings, including a hard pan bottom ford near Simmons City. This tactical rendering by the Army Corps of Engineers captures a specific moment when the traditional ranching frontier was being overlaid by early twentieth-century infrastructure and oil exploration near Dragoon Hollow.