1895 Map of Sierra Blanca

About this map

The junction of the Texas and Pacific Railroad and the Galveston Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad defines this late nineteenth-century portrait of Trans-Pecos Texas. Centered on the railroad hub at Sierra Blanca, the landscape is a complex of high desert peaks and strategic mountain passes. To the west, the Sierra Blanca mountains and the Quitman Mountains flank the rail lines, while the Sierra Diablo dominates the eastern horizon. The presence of features like S.P. Well and isolated settlements such as Etholen and Arispe highlights the critical importance of water and steam-engine infrastructure in this arid environment. This 1891 survey, published by geographer R.U. Goode, traces the rugged geometry of the Devils Canyon and the surrounding limestone ridges before the modern highway system bypassed these historic rail-stop coordinates.