1930 Map of Padre Island No. 2

About this map

Padre Island appears as a narrow, shifting barrier in this early 20th-century coastal survey. Compiled from aerial photographs taken by the Air Corps, U.S. Army, the map provides a look at the littoral landscape before significant modern development. The geography is dominated by the sprawling Mud Flats that transition into the shallow waters of the Laguna Madre to the west. This advance sheet emphasizes the natural boundary between the lagoon and the open Gulf of Mexico, capturing the desolate, wind-swept character of the Texas coast during this era. The lack of infrastructure or man-made landmarks on the island itself underscores the isolation of the region at the time of the 1930 compilation.