1928 Map of Comanche Spring

About this map

Fort Stockton serves as the hub of this Trans-Pecos landscape, situated at the vital waters of Comanche Spring. In the late 1920s, the area's geography was defined by the intersection of early automotive routes and transcontinental rail, with the Kansas City Mexico and Orient railroad cutting a diagonal path through the desert floor. The map documents the historic Old Spanish Trail, which followed the path of modern-day highways through a terrain of dramatic flat-topped mesas and isolated peaks like Madera Mountain. Outside the central town, the presence of numerous tanks and springs, such as Hole in the Wall Tank and Tunis Spring, reveals the essential water infrastructure required for ranching and travel in this arid Pecos County region. Named locations like Scharbaugh, Elsinore, and Rochelle highlight the remote outposts and sidings that supported the local ranching economy.