1897 Map of Chispa

About this map

The high desert terrain of Far West Texas is dominated by the Van Horn Mountains and the Tierra Vieja Mountains in this late nineteenth-century survey. Transportation through this arid landscape followed specific corridors, with the Southern Pacific R.R. and the Galveston Harrisburg and San Antonio Div. providing the primary rail links through stops like Chispa and Dalberg. Near the southwestern corner, the Rio Grande marks the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, its course flanked by the steep walls of Bass Canyon. The map reveals the critical importance of water sources in the Trans-Pecos, highlighting Van Horn Wells and Chispa Creek as vital landmarks for travelers and early settlers navigating the mountain passes like Vieja Pass.