1956 Map of Piedra Creek

About this map

Large cattle ranches and early petroleum development dominate this 1956 military revision of the South Texas brush country. The Nueces River winds through the center of the sheet, providing a vital water source in a landscape otherwise dotted with named tanks like Huisache Tank and Piedra Tank. The settlement pattern is defined by family ranching operations, including the Dobie Ranch, Tiger Ranch, and Pugh Ranch, many of which were connected by a network of unimproved roads and trails. Evidence of the region's mid-century energy boom is visible near the community of Munson, where an Oil Field and infrastructure for the Arkansas Oil Co appear alongside a Power House. Several crossings, including a Concrete Ford on the river, indicate how travelers navigated the ephemeral drainages of Piedra Creek and San Casimiro Creek.