Texas New Mexico Indian Territory

Nearing the end of the Comanche Wars in the American Southwest.

This captivating map of Texas, the New Mexico Territory, and Indian Territory provides an informative snapshot of the large southwestern region at the beginning of the 1870s. Surveyed outlines are beginning to appear in the Lonestar State, but the abundance of frontier fortifications reflects the ongoing tension with local Native American tribes (also named). Of note is the large area attributed to the Comanches – numerous conflicts had taken place between the skilled horse riders and encroaching settlers since the early 18th century. The land’s bands would surrender the U.S. Army just a few years after the map’s publication.

Topography is depicted in hachure and various settlements, geographic features, and battle sites are labeled. An inset of the Galveston area, with railroad connections to Houston, can be seen in the lower left. The city was an important point of debarkation for European immigrants and a critical trading hub for the growth of the Southwest.

The map was drawn and engraved by Oliver J. Stuart in New York. Published in Chicago in 1872 as part of Rand McNally’s System of Geography. Text with information and geography exercises on Nebraska, Kansas, Dakota, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming on the verso.