1895 Map of Alpine

About this map

Alpine serves as the central hub of this Trans-Pecos landscape, situated at a vital junction of the Galveston Harrisburg and San Antonio and Southern Pacific railroads. The late nineteenth-century settlement pattern is defined by isolated ranching outposts spread across the high desert, including the Walbridge Ranch, Murphy Ranch, and Neville Ranch. These family holdings are positioned near water sources like Calamity Creek and Alpine Creek, which navigate between the prominent volcanic formations of the Puertacitas Mts. and isolated summits like Mitre Peak and Cathedral Mt.. The geography illustrates the early logistical challenges of the region, where rail stops like Toronto and Strobel provided essential links for the expansive cattle operations that dominated the local economy before the turn of the century.