1943 Map of Whites Bayou

About this map

Hankamer and the surrounding coastal plains of southeast Texas define this 1943 landscape, surveyed just as the region's petroleum and agricultural infrastructure was maturing. The presence of the Hankamer Oil Field, marked by numerous Oil Wells and Oil Tanks, illustrates the era's intensive resource extraction along the Liberty Co Chambers Co line. This industrial footprint is balanced by an intricate water management system, including the extensive Devers Canal and a network of ditches designed to irrigate the low-lying terrain near Whites Bayou. Evidence of early settlement and family history is anchored by the Abshier Cem and the small community of McBride. The map further captures the hydrological complexity of the area, from the sprawling Willis Marsh in the north to the meandering paths of Crooked Bayou and Sweet Bay Bayou in the south.