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1965 Map of Orvil

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Orvil
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

The Tire Proving Ground dominates the central landscape of this South Texas survey, featuring a distinct circular track and an Observation Tower used for industrial testing in Webb County. The region's arid ranching character is evidenced by the numerous named water sources and windmills necessary for livestock, such as Macana Windmill, Tortuga Tank, and La Coma Windmill. Transportation and industry are concentrated along the western corridor, where the Missouri Pacific railroad runs parallel to U.S. 81.

Orvil stands as the primary named settlement, surrounded by a heavy presence of Gravel Pits that indicate local resource extraction during the mid-1960s. The drainage patterns of Sombrerito Creek and Chacon Creek cut through the terrain, while travelers along the highway would have found rest at the Roadside Park located just north of the proving grounds. The map provides a detailed look at the infrastructure of the Webb County brush country before later interstate developments.