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1889 Map of Granbury

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of Granbury
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1889
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1889

About this map

The Brazos River carves a dramatic serpentine path through the heart of this North Texas landscape, defined by sharp oxbows like De Cordova Bend, Abby Bend, and Mitchell Bend. These dramatic water features, along with prominent landmarks like Comanche Peak and Barnard Knob, provided essential navigational points for early settlers before the era of widespread damming and modern reservoirs. The map documents the late 19th-century growth of Granbury and Glenrose, then emerging as important regional hubs in Hood and Somervell counties.

Transportation networks of the late 1880s are recorded in detail, featuring the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad and the Texas Central Railroad. Beyond the larger towns, researchers will find smaller frontier-era settlements and outposts such as Fort Spunky, Thorps Springs, and Eulogy. The terrain is further marked by a series of significant passes including Skippers Gap and Flag Creek Gap, which dictated the early wagon and rail routes through the limestone hills of the Cross Timbers region.