1885 Map of Bastrop

About this map

The Colorado River carves a winding path through the southern landscape of this Central Texas region, serving as the geographic anchor for the county seat of Bastrop. In the 1880s, the terrain was defined by the transition from the river bottomlands to the distinct uplands of the Yegua Knobs. The arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad shifted the economic gravity of the area, sparking the growth of rail-side towns like Elgin, McDade, and Paige. These settlements provided vital shipping points for local agriculture, connecting the rural interiors of Bastrop and Lee counties to wider markets. Away from the tracks, smaller communities such as Beaukiss and Fedor represent the era's scattered rural post offices and school districts. The map meticulously tracks the intricate drainage network of creeks like Wilbarger Creek and Cedar Creek, which dictated the early settlement patterns of family farms and homesteads across the prairies.