1967 Map of Novice East

About this map

The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad cuts a diagonal path through this Central Texas landscape, anchoring the small communities of Novice and Silver Valley. Surveyed in the late 1960s with revisions in the 1980s, the map reveals an economy defined by petroleum extraction and ranching, most notably within the Burroughs Oil Field. The terrain is characterized by a complex drainage system where Bachelor Prong and Rough Creek carve through the limestone-crested hills. Several small burial grounds, including Silver Valley Cem and Mountain View Cem near the base of Robinson Peak, serve as vital landmarks for genealogists tracing early families in Coleman County. The presence of the White Chapel and a local Community Center reflects the enduring social structure of these rural outposts along the U.S. 84 corridor.