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1958 Map of Hemphill

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Hemphill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The Sabine National Forest dominates this East Texas landscape, where the historic El Camino Real cuts through the timbered hills of Sabine County. Centered on the town of Hemphill, the map documents a region deeply tied to the lumber industry and early Texas history, evidenced by the Austin College Forestry Camp and various fire towers like the Chambers Hill Lookout. The settlement patterns here follow the creeks and old timber routes, with small communities such as East Mayfield and Pineland serving as local hubs.

Industrial and transport history is visible in the route of the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad and various old railroad grades that once hauled pine from the deep woods. For genealogists, the map is a primary resource for locating family landmarks like the McMahan Chapel Cem, Low Chapel, and numerous rural churches including Spring Hill Ch and Sandy Flat Ch, many of which represent the social anchors of these dispersed forest communities.