c.1952 South Padre Island Texas Real Estate Development Map John L. Tompkins

Date: c.1952
Artist: Unknown
Size (in): 14” x 8.5”
Size (cm): 35.6 x 21.6
Condition: B
Linen backed: No

This is a vintage original and rare c.1952 promotional brochure with map of South Padre Island, Texas issued by the real estate developer John L. Tompkins & Co. John L. Tompkins purchased 1470 acres on Padre Island in 1950 which included the entire town of present day South Padre Island and officially named it “Padre Beach.” Almost immediately Tompkins began promoting his vision of a thriving seaside community real estate development. In the beginning there was no vehicular causeway but that changed in 1953 when the initial Queen Isabella Causeway was opened.  Rapid development of Padre Island followed.

This brochure is single piece with a large map covering the entirety of one side titled “Padre Beach on South Padre Island”. The cartouche area of the map indicates “Padre Island Development Perspective Map Compliments of John L. Tompkins & Company, Developers – 214-215 Jones Bldg. Corpus Christi, Texas”.

This map isn’t dated but shows the location of the Padre Island Causeway that opened in 1953 as “Now Under Construction” so we would date the map as c.1952. The verso has text about the development under the title “South Padre Island Begins Huge Development Program”.

The original owner of this map drew a line of several inches and circled the town of Los Fresnos in pen. The map has a closed tear of a couple inches in the center and two other smaller closed tears on the left side but nothing torn off or missing and when laid flat the closed tears are almost invisible. This vintage original map is otherwise in very good condition with just light handling wear and modest toning from age. This is undoubtedly the first real estate promotional map brochure for the first real estate developments on Padre Island issued by the pioneering developer John L. Tompkins.