1954 Map of Plainview

About this map

Palo Duro Canyon and the surrounding High Plains of the Texas Panhandle define this mid-century survey. The landscape is dominated by the dramatic escarpment of the Caprock, where the Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River and Tule Canyon carve deep into the plateau. This era shows a well-developed agricultural and transportation network, with the Fort Worth and Denver and Panhandle and Santa Fe railroads connecting established ranching and farming hubs like Plainview, Childress, and Canyon. The map captures the distinctive drainage patterns of the Llano Estacado, featuring numerous ephemeral draws such as Running Water Draw and the various branches of South Tule Draw, which supported early settlement and irrigation. Within Palo Duro State Park, the terrain drops sharply from the flat plains, providing a stark contrast to the grid-like road system that services smaller communities like Silverton, Quitaque, and Happy.