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1892 Map of Temple

Name: 1892 Topographic Map of Temple
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1917
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1917

About this map

Central Texas railroad expansion dominates the landscape in this survey, showcasing the convergence of five major lines across Bell, McLennan, and Falls counties. The street grids of Temple and Belton serve as the primary hubs, where the Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Railway meets the Missouri Kansas & Texas Ry. This transit network facilitated the rapid growth of agricultural settlements like McGregor and Lorena, which were established to serve the surrounding Blackland Prairie farms.

The terrain transitions from the Brazos River in the northeast toward the higher ground at Hubby Hill, with a dense web of smaller waterways such as South Bosque Cr. and Big Elm Creek threading through the countryside. Early rural communities and post offices, including Eagle Springs, Westphalia, and Mooresville, are shown connected by a network of local roads that predate the modern highway system, offering a clear view of the region's late-nineteenth-century development.