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1894 Map of Taylor

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Taylor
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Taylor and the surrounding prairie of Central Texas are documented here during the late nineteenth-century rail expansion. Three major rail lines, including the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad and the International and Great Northern Railroad, define the settlement patterns across the borders of Bell, Milam, and Williamson counties. These corridors fostered the growth of towns like Granger, Bartlett, and Thorndale, which served as vital shipping points for the region's agricultural output.

Waterways like the Little River and San Gabriel River meander through the landscape, alongside smaller settlements such as San Gabriel and Davilla. The network of creeks—including Mustang and Donahoe—indicates the natural drainage that influenced early farm placement. This survey provides a clear view of the transition from river-dependent communities to a rail-centered economy in the Texas interior.