1932 Map of Mustang Bayou

About this map

Arcadia stands as the primary point of settlement on this preliminary 1932 sheet, which documents the coastal prairie landscape along the border of Galveston Co and Brazoria Co. Much of the map reflects an unsurveyed area, captured here during a transition in regional mapping by the Texas Reclamation Department and the U.S. Geological Survey. The sparse development shown in the northeast corner reveals a grid of early roads and field boundaries typical of the period's agricultural expansion before more intensive coastal development. The involvement of the Galveston County Commissioners Court, including County Judge E. B. Holman and County Engineer C. C. Washington, underscores the local administrative effort to document this territory for drainage and land reclamation purposes during the late 1920s and early 1930s.