Loading map...

1892 Map of Chispa

Name: 1892 Topographic Map of Chispa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Southern Pacific R. R. and the Galveston Harrisburg and San Antonio R. R. dictate the settlement pattern of this West Texas landscape during the late nineteenth century. Rail stops and watering points like Dalberg, Arno, and Van Horn Wells appear as isolated outposts within the broad valleys between the Van Horn Mountains and the Wylie Mountains. In the southern reaches, the Rio Grande marks the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, winding through the terrain below the Sierra Vieja Mountains.

This 1892 survey by A.H. Thompson and R.U. Goode captures the region before extensive modernization, showing the crucial role of seasonal water sources such as Chispa Creek and Bene Creek. The map documents early county lines, including the division between El Paso and Jeff Davis counties, providing a precise record of the political and physical geography that defined this ranching and railroad corridor.