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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

Family homesteads and rural community centers define this landscape in the Texas Hill Country, as captured in a 1928-29 survey. The area is characterized by the winding Guadalupe River, featuring dramatic oxbows such as Demijohn Bend, Smiths Bend, and Cordova Bend. Local social life is anchored by gathering places like Anhalt and Farmers Hall, while the agricultural economy is represented by Fischer Store and Cranes Mill.

Education in this era was decentralized, with numerous neighborhood institutions including the Smithson Valley School House, Rebecca Creek School, and Martin School. Modern infrastructure is visible through the Highway No. 281 corridor and a power transmission line belonging to the San Antonio Public Service Co. Genealogists will find high value in the numerous family-named properties, such as those belonging to Alex Scheel, G. Krause, and Mrs. J. Hanz, which illustrate the German-American settlement patterns of Comal and Kendall counties.