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1957 Map of Waco East

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Waco East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

The Brazos River serves as the central artery for this 1957 landscape, dividing the urban expansion of Waco from the industrial and rail-heavy eastern districts. This era shows a city in transition, where institutional anchors like Baylor University and Paul Quinn College sit adjacent to bustling rail corridors. The presence of the St Louis Southwestern, Missouri Pacific, and Southern Pacific lines underscores the region's importance as a Texas transportation hub.

Industrial activity is evident in the numerous Gravel Pits along the riverbanks and the specialized Warden Locomotive Shop in Bellmead. For genealogists, the map is a dense record of community life, documenting schools like East Waco Sch and La Vega High Sch, alongside numerous burial grounds including Restland Cemetery and the Jacob Sholom Cem. North of the city, the James Connally Airport and the community of Lacy-Lakeview mark the postwar growth into the surrounding McLennan County prairie.