2022 Map of Van Lake

About this map

Van stands at the western edge of this 2022 survey, anchoring a rural East Texas landscape defined by dense creek networks and a multitude of small, family-named cemeteries. The border between Van Zandt Co and Smith Co bisects the terrain, which slopes toward the Sabine River in the northeast. Numerous small reservoirs and lakes populate the area, including the namesake Van Lake, Garden Lake, and Mosley Lake, alongside a series of uniquely named water bodies like World Challenge Lake Number 1. For genealogists, the map is particularly rich with small burial grounds such as Providence Cem, Jamestown Cem, and Union Chapel Cem, many of which sit near historical crossroads like Garden Valley Cem. The landscape is etched with a fine grid of county roads and farm-to-market routes like FM 1805 and FM 1253, illustrating the persistent rural settlement pattern of the region.