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1955 Map of Saratoga

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

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Saratoga Oil Field and Batson Oil Field anchor this mid-1950s survey of the Big Thicket region, showing the industrial infrastructure of southeast Texas at mid-century. While oil derricks and tanks dominate the areas near Saratoga and Batson, the landscape is defined by a complex network of wetlands and drainage. Names like Jayhawker Baygall and Bass Baygall point to the local ecology of acid bogs, while Dunnie Burnout and Old Hat Burnout suggest the historical impact of fire on these dense woodlands.

Transportation is dominated by the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad, which services small communities and stops like Votaw, Thicket, and Bragg. The presence of a Shingle mill and numerous old railroad grades reflect the timber economy that operated alongside the petroleum industry. For genealogists, the map preserves the locations of several rural landmarks, including Mt Calvary Ch, Griffin Cem, and Sutton Cem, providing a precise record of these community centers before later development altered the rural Hardin County landscape.