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1955 Map of Potrero Cortado

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Potrero Cortado
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Padre Island and the shallow expanse of Laguna Madre dominate this coastal landscape, showing the complex barrier island system of Kenedy County before extensive modern development. The map details a transition from the salt spray and shifting sand dunes of the barrier island to the western ranch lands, where survival relied on a network of deep water sources like the Carnestolendas Artesian Well and Maria Petra Artesian Well.

Isolated outposts such as Carnestolendas Ranch and Dunns Ranch are anchored between the gulf and the mainland, while the recently completed Intracoastal Waterway cuts a straight line through the natural geography. The intricate naming of coastal features, including Potrero Cortado and Potrero de los Caballos, reflects a deep local heritage of livestock management on the narrow strips of land between the sloughs and the bay.