1893 Map of Nueces

About this map

The canyonlands and ranching frontiers of the southwestern Edwards Plateau are documented here just before the close of the nineteenth century. The landscape is defined by the Nueces River and its numerous tributaries, including Kickapoo Creek and Hackberry Creek, which carve deep into the plateau. This era of land use is characterized by large, family-named livestock operations rather than traditional towns. Notable holdings include the Ford and Holliday Ranch and the Wheat and Luckys Ranch, illustrating the early settlement patterns of Edwards, Kinney, and Uvalde counties. Isolated outposts like Barksdale, Camp Wood, and Vance serve as small hubs in a terrain marked by prominent peaks such as Military Mt. and Wild Cat Mt.. The presence of the Dutch Baulo Ground and the Trail in the northwest suggests the specialized land use and transit routes required in this high-relief ranching country.