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1955 Map of Saratoga

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Saratoga
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

The industrial and natural landscape of Hardin County is defined here by the Saratoga Oil Field and Batson Oil Field, centers of the early 20th-century Texas oil boom. The map reveals a dense network of petroleum infrastructure, including numerous oil wells and tanks, alongside established settlements like Saratoga and Batson. The local economy of the mid-1950s is further illustrated by the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe railroad line, which connected the timber and oil regions via stops at Votaw and Bragg.

Away from the drilling rigs, the terrain is dominated by the intricate hydrology of Pine Island Bayou and the distinctive wetlands of Bass Baygall and Jayhawker Baygall. For genealogists, the map preserves the locations of several community landmarks, including Mt Calvary Ch and the Sutton Cem. Unusual place names like Old Hat Burnout and Dunnie Burnout hint at the area's history with forest fires and land management in the Big Thicket region.