{"product_id":"old-map-of-san-antonio-texas-by-usgs-1953-alamo-heights-fort-sam-houston-lackland-afb","title":"Old Map of San Antonio, Texas by USGS, 1953 – Alamo Heights, Fort Sam Houston \u0026 Lackland AFB","description":"\u003cp\u003eTitled “San Antonio East,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents a richly detailed portrait of San Antonio, Texas, and adjoining Bexar County in the postwar years. Created from 1953 survey work and issued with a 1959 imprint, it captures the city at a moment of confident expansion, when older neighborhoods, military reservations, parklands, and new transportation corridors were knitting together into a larger metropolitan landscape. At the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map balances civic detail with natural form: streets, rail lines, highways, waterways, and contours combine to show not only where San Antonio stood, but how its terrain shaped development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey’s cartographic style is at its most useful and elegant here. Contour lines trace the subtle rise and fall of the South Texas landscape, giving depth to a region often imagined as flat, while color clarifies the human and natural environment. Developed districts appear in strong red tones, making the city’s residential grid, institutional grounds, and infrastructure immediately legible. Greens mark parks, vegetation, and open land, creating a vivid contrast between built San Antonio and its surrounding natural spaces. Roads, railroads, creeks, and boundaries are rendered with the disciplined precision that made USGS quadrangles essential tools for planners, engineers, researchers, and travelers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map is especially compelling as a mid-century record of San Antonio’s urban geography. Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills appear as established enclaves to the northeast of the city core, while the broader pattern of streets and neighborhoods reflects a city extending beyond its older historic center. US Route 90 and other major roads show the growing importance of automobile movement, even as railroad tracks and stations testify to the older networks that had long connected San Antonio to Texas and the wider Southwest. The result is a layered image of transition, with streetcar-era urban form, rail infrastructure, and postwar highway planning all visible at once.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMilitary geography is another defining presence on “San Antonio East.” Fort Sam Houston, one of the most important military installations in the region, anchors the eastern side of the city’s institutional landscape, while nearby air and defense facilities reflect San Antonio’s long-standing identity as a military center. Lackland Air Force Base, associated with the city’s broader military ecosystem, evokes the Cold War-era expansion of training, aviation, and federal infrastructure in Texas. These installations are not merely landmarks; they shaped housing patterns, roads, employment, and civic growth, making the map a revealing document of how national defense priorities influenced local urban development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNatural and recreational spaces lend the map a quieter but equally important richness. San Pedro Springs Park and Brackenridge Park stand out as green refuges within the city, preserving the relationship between San Antonio’s settlement history, water sources, and public landscape. Creeks, drainage channels, and contours remind the viewer that urban growth took place within a specific environmental setting, one governed by elevation, runoff, and the availability of open land. Seen today, the map offers a fascinating comparison with modern San Antonio: boundaries have shifted, infrastructure has multiplied, and once-open margins have filled in. Yet this quadrangle preserves the city’s mid-century form with remarkable clarity and charm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSan Antonio, Texas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlamo Heights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTerrell Hills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLackland Air Force Base\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort Sam Houston\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBexar County\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSan Pedro Springs Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrackenridge Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRailroad tracks and stations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMajor highways, including US Route 90\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious neighborhoods and residential areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNatural features, including rivers, creeks, and parks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated in 1953 and published with a 1959 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows mid-20th-century urban development, land use, city boundaries, and infrastructure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures contour lines indicating elevation changes across the urban and natural landscape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes roads, natural boundaries, and other topographical features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses color to distinguish developed urban areas from parks, vegetation, and agricultural land.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a useful snapshot of how the area has changed over subsequent decades.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/es\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58849327776128,"sku":null,"price":363.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58849327808896,"sku":null,"price":975.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58849327841664,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58849327874432,"sku":null,"price":363.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58849327907200,"sku":null,"price":975.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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