Loading map...

1902 Map of Gainesville

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Gainesville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Red River creates a serpentine border between Texas and the Chickasaw Nation in this early turn-of-the-century topography. This era represents a landscape of intense river travel and rail expansion, where the water is navigated via numerous crossings such as Courtney Ferry, Burneyville Ferry, and Sacras Ferry. The river's dramatic meanders are distinctly named, including Sivells Bend, Warrens Bend, and Horseshoe Bend, each shaping the local ranching and farming operations of the period.

South of the river, Gainesville serves as the regional hub at the junction of the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe and the Missouri Kansas and Texas railroads. Smaller communities like Muenster, Lindsay, and Myra dot the southern plains, supported by rural landmarks such as the Wolf Ridge Schoolhouse and Loring Ranch. The map captures the final years of the Indian Territory boundary before Oklahoma statehood, marking a pivotal transition in the region's political and geographic history.