1955 Map of Silsbee

About this map

The Neches River forms a serpentine boundary between Hardin and Jasper counties, defining a landscape of dense bottomlands and timber-rich baygalls. The city of Silsbee serves as the regional hub, situated at the junction of the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe and the Texas Southern and New Orleans Pacific railroads. The era's industrial character is clear through the sprawling Silsbee Oil Field and the Beech Creek Oil Field, while the river's influence is seen in numerous named eddies and bends like Gourd Vine Eddy and Cookiebur Bend. Genealogists will find interest in localized family landmarks such as Gore Cem and the Hook Cem near South Hampton. The map also captures several fire lookout towers, including the Smart School Fire Lookout Tower, highlighting the vital importance of forestry management in this section of East Texas during the mid-1950s.