2022 Map of Thorson Gully

About this map

Batson sits at the northwestern edge of a landscape defined by the dense vegetation and winding waterways of Southeast Texas. This recent survey illustrates the area's transition from the developed roads around the settlement to the protected wilderness of the Big Thicket National Preserve. The map reveals a series of distinct prairie openings amidst the timber, including Batson Prairie, Sams Prairie, and Stockpen Prairie, which likely served as early navigational landmarks for ranchers and settlers. Genealogy researchers will find several family-named landmarks and historical burial sites, such as Guedry Cem and Jordan Cem, documenting generations of local residents. The hydrography of the region is complex, dominated by the sluggish flow of Pine Island Bayou and the network of drainages like Thorson Gully and Mayhaw Cr that feed into the coastal basin.