1957 Map of Terry

About this map

Industrial expansion along the Neches River defines this mid-century landscape on the border of Orange and Jefferson counties. The southern reaches of the map are dominated by the Oil Refinery at Smith Bluff and the extensive Bessie Heights Oil and Gas Field, where a complex network of canals and levees cuts through the marshy terrain of Gum Island. The Southern Pacific railroad serves as the primary east-west artery, connecting small settlements like Terry and Oilla. For genealogists, the map preserves the exact locations of several family burial grounds, including Stephenson Cem and Adcock Cem, many of which sit near the edges of rising industrial zones. The transition from the rural roads of the north to the heavily engineered waterways of the Port Neches Oil and Gas Field illustrates the era's intensive resource extraction and maritime development.