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1890 Map of Stephenville

Name: 1890 Topographic Map of Stephenville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1922
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1922

About this map

The rolling prairies and Cross Timbers of north-central Texas appear here as they were surveyed in the late 1880s, revealing a landscape transitioning from frontier outposts to established rail towns. Stephenville serves as the central hub, situated along the South Bosque River. To the south, the expansion of the Texas Central Railroad is the primary driver of growth, connecting established points like Dublin and Alexander.

Smaller, often family-named settlements like Wyleyville, Morgans Mill, and Duffau Wells are scattered across the terrain, connected by primitive road networks that follow the ridges and creek valleys. Notable topographic landmarks such as Smith Gap, Jameson Peaks, and Tallow Face Mountain provide clear orientation points for researchers tracing early land patents. This 1887 survey, published in the 1890s and reprinted in 1922, documents the era before modern highways, when the local economy relied heavily on the rail lines and small communities established near permanent water sources like South Palo Pinto Creek and North Paluxy Creek.