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1895 Map of Alpine

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Alpine
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1916
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1916

About this map

Isolated cattle ranches and high desert peaks define the Trans-Pecos landscape of West Texas during this late nineteenth-century survey. The town of Alpine serves as the primary hub, situated where the Galveston Harrisburg and San Antonio railroad cuts through the mountains. This rail corridor was essential for the region's ranching economy, connecting remote outposts like Toronto and Paisano to wider markets.

The map reveals a network of family-held landholdings, including the Mitchell Ranch, Mc.Intire Ranch, and Neville Ranch, scattered among prominent geological landmarks. Massive formations such as Cathedral Mt., Cienega Mt., and Mitre Peak tower over the ephemeral drainages of Calamity Creek and Alamita Creek. These watercourses and mountain passes dictated the early survey lines and movement across the Brewster, Presidio, and Jeff Davis county boundaries.