1957 Map of Waco East

About this map

The Brazos River divides the industrial and academic heart of Waco from its eastern expansions in this mid-century topographic record. Dominating the western bank is Baylor University, adjacent to the extensive grounds of Oakwood Cemetery and Restland Cemetery. The map captures a period of significant urban growth, with purple-tinted revisions from 1970 showing the outward sprawl of Bellmead and Lacy-Lakeview to the north. A dense network of rail lines, including the Missouri Pacific RR and Southern Pacific RR, converges near the Warden Locomotive Shop, reflecting the era's heavy industrial reliance on rail transport. To the east, the landscape transitions into a complex drainage system of Tehuacana Creek and Tradinghouse Creek, interspersed with numerous gravel pits that underscore the local extractive industry during the city's postwar development.