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1896 Map of Nueces

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Nueces
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1904
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1904

About this map

The rugged canyonlands of the upper Nueces River watershed define this 1890s survey, where early ranching outposts are scattered across the Edwards Plateau. The map captures a frontier landscape centered on the confluence of the East Nueces River and West Nueces River, highlighting early settlements such as Barksdale and Vance. The territory is marked by essential water sources like Kickapoo Spring and Cherry Spring, which supported a network of family-operated holdings including Ford and Holliday Ranch and the Wheat and Luckys Ranch.

A network of early trails, such as the one passing through Big Canyon, reveals the difficult transit through the limestone breaks and ridges like Indian Mt and Military Mt. Genealogists will find particular value in the specific placement of isolated homesteads and landmarks like Camp Wood and the Johnson Ranch, recorded just as the region was transition from open range to more formal county organization across the boundaries of Edwards, Kinney, and Uvalde counties.