1895 Map of Marfa

About this map

Marfa sits at the junction of several desert roads and the Southern Pacific R. R. in this late 19th-century survey of the high Trans-Pecos. The landscape is defined by vast drainage basins like Ryan Flat and the dramatic escarpments of the Cuesta Del Burro and Cleveland Breaks. Settled life is sparse, centered on isolated waypoints like Humphris, Bogel, and the Stage Stand, which reflect the region's reliance on reliable water sources such as Oak Creek and Alamito Creek. The map documents the early ranching footprint of West Texas, naming specific holdings like Porter's Ranch and the settlement at Rancheria. The geography reveals a hardscrabble economy of rail transit and open-range livestock before the modern development of the Big Bend country.