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1893 Map of Rock Springs

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Rock Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1916
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1916

About this map

Rock Springs serves as the focal point of this late 19th-century survey, situated at the headwaters of a complex network of draws and creeks on the Texas Edwards Plateau. The landscape is defined by the high-elevation ranching culture of Edwards, Sutton, and Kimble counties, where water is the primary arbiter of settlement. The map reveals a frontier economy tethered to vital water sources such as Eight Mile Water Hole, Ten Mile Water Hole, and McKenzie Lake.

Genealogists will find a wealth of family-named landmarks, including Stegalls Ranch, Wentworth Ranch, and Bonds Ranch, marking the early holdings that predate more dense development. The rugged topography is punctuated by the Devils Sink Hole in the southeast corner and two distinct peaks both labeled Cedar Knob. This 1891 survey, published by the Geological Survey under A.H. Thompson, documents the region before the rise of modern highways, when the North Llano River and South Llano River dominated the local geography.