Map of Texas

A misprinted map of the settled portion of Texas from the late 19th century.

This detailed map of the state of Texas was published in Chicago by H.R. Page & Co. in 1886. Although it omits several thousand square miles from the western end of the state, this may be forgiven due to the cartographer’s efforts to focus on the more populated areas.

The rapidly expanding network of railroads can be is shown in dark black lines, linking the various ranches, farms, and mines to the ready markets back east. West bound lines are limited to the newly incorporated Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway and the Texas and Pacific Railway. Sparsely populated counties in the northern panhandle reflect ongoing land reforms which took place throughout the late 19th century.

Though not the subject of the image, the adjacent Indian Territory also contains noteworthy information. The Indian Appropriations Act of 1885 allowed Congress to negotiate and buy unoccupied lands from tribes within the territory. Several such cessions are noted- these and others would ultimately fuel the several land rushes that took place in the 1880’s and 1890’s, ultimately leading to the state of Oklahoma.