1952 Map of Potrero Lopeno SE

About this map

Padre Island serves as the dominant landform on this mid-century coastal survey, separating the open Gulf of Mexico from the shallow reaches of Laguna Madre. The landscape is defined by dynamic coastal processes, specifically Shifting Sand Dunes that reach elevations of up to 26 feet. Such height on a barrier island suggests a highly active aeolian environment during the early 1950s. Traces of human presence and geological curiosities appear amidst the sand, including unidentified Ruins and a label for Meteor. These specific markers, combined with notes on the variable water stages and occasional inundation, highlight the ephemeral nature of the Texas coast before modern development stabilized much of the island's geography. The map captures a moment when the shoreline was documented through a combination of 1948 aerial photography and 1949 ground surveys.