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1943 Map of Oyster Creek

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Oyster Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Bastrop Bayou and Austin Bayou snake through this low-lying coastal landscape, defining a region where water and rail dictated early settlement. The Missouri Pacific railroad cuts a straight diagonal across the wetlands, connecting small outposts like Mims and Pharr to the larger centers of Stratton Ridge and the coastal community of Oyster Creek. The map reveals a complex hydrologic network of sloughs and lakes, including Salt Lake and Square Island Lake, which separate the inland prairies from the Gulf marshes.

Local family history is anchored by markers such as Hoskins Cem near Hoskins Mound and the Hudgens Cem further south. Rural life in the early 1940s is further evidenced by centers of worship like Bethel Ch and Evergreen Ch. This survey illustrates the intricate drainage patterns of the Texas coast before modern industrial expansion, preserving the location of vanished coastal landmarks like Bastrop Beach and the original footprints of local cattle ridges.