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1940 Map of Smithson Valley

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Smithson Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The Guadalupe River carves a winding path through this portion of the Texas Hill Country, creating dramatic oxbows at Demijohn Bend and Cordova Bend. This 1940 edition, based on surveys from the late 1920s, reveals a landscape of dispersed agricultural communities and isolated rural schools serving the Kendall and Comal county borderlands. Settlements like Fischer Store and Cranes Mill anchor the northern and eastern reaches, while Anhalt and Farmers Hall appear in the southwest, reflecting the region's early 20th-century social hubs.

The rugged geography is defined by prominent elevations such as Twin Sisters Mtn and Big Head Mtn, interspersed with a network of seasonal drainages including Honey Creek and Rebecca Creek. Local education is well-documented through landmarks like the Martin School and Smithson Valley School, providing a specific geographical record of the community's civic infrastructure before later 20th-century developments altered the character of the valley.