Antique Texas Map Reproductions

Texas
Burr, David H., published by J.H. Colton, New York, 1834

A reproduction of an engraved map. Original size: 42 cm x 54 cm. Scale: 1 inch = approximately 47 miles. Inset map: Plan of the Port of Galveston. In 1832, David H. Burr was appointed as the topographer to the U.S. Post Office. As such, he had access to a large volume of geographical data made available by the local postmasters around the country. In 1833, Burr produced the first version of this map following Stephen F. Austin's 1830 map of Texas. In 1834, Burr created an updated version, reflecting the Anglo immigration to Texas and the seventeen Empresario land grants. This map was the first large scale map to show Texas claims to lands north of the Arkansas river, and is considered to be a "landmark map" by Thomas W. Streeter, a famous bibliographer, collector, and author of "A Bibliography of Texas".

The land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande was claimed by both Mexico and the U.S. The dispute over this area began when the new Texas Republic claimed its western boundary as the Rio Grande river. In this map, Burr shows the boundary between the Rio Grand and the Nueces. When Texas was annexed by the U.S as the twenty-eighth state in 1845, war with Mexico began 4 months later over the boundary dispute that would not be settled until the Compromise of 1850. Burr erroneously displayed the north eastern boundary 20 miles short of its intended location, a mistake which caused litigation between Texas and Arkansas in the coming years.

Burr's map also included an inset map of the "Plan of the Port of Galveston" reflecting the sounding measurements taken in Galveston Bay by Alexander Thompson who had been commissioned by the Mexican government to produce the chart in 1828. This chart was valuable to traveling immigrants as Galveston became the primary port of entry to Europeans and eastern Americans alike.

A New Map of Texas with the Contiguous American and Mexican States. , Mitchell, S. Augustus, Philadelphia, 1836.

A reproduction of an engraved map, with original full color. Originally, approximately 32 cm (12.6 inches) x 39 cm (15.6 inches) in size. Scale: 1 inch = approximately 73 miles. The title is ornately lettered with a handsome decorative line border. It includes three insets with discussions of Texas: "Remarks on Texas," "Rivers of Texas," and "Land Grants". This map has rich vivid colors and only 4 extremely small spots near the center of the map. The first edition of this map was published in 1835, this example is the much desired second edition, published in the year of Texas independence from Mexico, 1836.

This extremely colorful, beautifully engraved map by the famous J.H.Young, followed the appearance of Stephen F. Austin's Texas map in 1830. An intense public interest in the western expansion was stimulated by the expeditions of Lewis and Clark, Zebulon Pike, and others, creating a strong market for maps, guidebooks, and atlases. Because of this intense public interest in the events west of the Sabine river, publisher Mitchell was prompted to issue this map which is among the earliest and most important maps of Texas ever issued.

Texas land features are noted, including range areas of the Apaches Mescalero and Comanche Indian tribes, and conditions such as "elevated prairies," "immense level prairies," and "Droves of Wild Cattle & Horses".

The Mitchell-Young map shows each Mexican Empresario grant, and it contains extensive explanatory blocks of text on obtaining land grants and tax relief, references to the growing Anglo population, and the favorable conditions for raising cattle. Other matters of vital interest to prospective immigrants are also mentioned including tips on navigable rivers with lands which are "the richest and deepest in Texas, and are considered equal in fertility to any in the world". Predictive remarks point out that this fertility along with "a geographical position highly favorable to commercial intercourse with the United States, and the rest of the world, are advantages which doubtless will at no distant period, render it an opulent and powerful State".

This map is unsurpassed in its beauty and its place in the history of the great Republic of Texas.

Map of Texas Containing the Latest Grants and Discoveries , Lee, E.F., 1836, Published as part of a book The History of Texas; or, the Emigrant's, Farmer's, and Politician's Guide to the Character, Climate, Soil and Productions of that Country: Geographically Arranged from Personal Observation and Experience, Edward, David, Cincinnati: J. A. James & Company, 1836

Original Size: 31.5 cm (12.4 inches) x 22 (8.6 inches) cm. Scale: 1 inch = approximately 70 miles. The title is ornately lettered.

A reproduction of a folding, engraved, hand-outlined map of the Republic of Texas, influenced by Henry S. Tanner's enhanced 1830 map of Texas originally created by Stephen F. Austin. This interesting map displays the colonies and grants of colonial Texas along with topographical features such as rivers, mountains, roads, Indian village and precious metal mine locations. Comments on wildlife and the Galveston salt works accompany a special note on General Ben Milam's death.

Map of Texas, compiled from Surveys recorded in the Land Office of Texas, and other official surveys . Arrowsmith, John, London, 1843

A reproduction of an engraved map, with original outline color, 61.5 cm (24.2 inches) x 48.5 cm (19.1 inches). Scale: 1 inch = approximately 47 miles. The title ornately lettered with seals of the Republic of Texas and the General Land Office Texas. Texas insets: Remarks on Texas; Rivers of Texas; Land Grants. This map has vivid hand-drawn outline colors. Two miniscule spots present above the Canadian River and in Milam county.

John Arrowsmith (1790 - 1873) Founding member of the Royal Geographical Society in London. His London Atlas of Universal Geography was originally published in 1834 and continually revised and extended through 1854. (Later versions of this atlas are valued for their new surveys in Australia, North America, and Texas.).

Arrowsmith first published this famous map of the Republic of Texas in early 1841, shortly after the Republic was officially recognized by Great Britain on November 16, 1840 (as stated on the map). This example is the third version, issued June 8, 1843. Arrowsmith's map of Texas was the "first to show the full extent of Texas's claim to the region of the upper Rio Grande, including the city of Santa Fe, an area included within Texas's boundaries until the Compromise of 1850"1 with Mexico. The southern boundry is shown as the Rio Grande instead of the Nueces river. The map includes two insets, one showing the geographical relationship with Mexico, Texas and the United States, and another inset showing important Galveston Bay, with soundings illustrated for the immigrating traveler the best route to the new city of Houston, Austin, Bastrop, and destinations beyond. "The showing of the settled Texas area, along the Gulf of Mexico, is excellent".2

There are legends for "Route of the Ranger Colon Many 1833," "Route of the Dragons under Col. Dodge 1834," and "Elsworths Route". There are also legends for "Road from Bexar to Nacogodoches." "Route of General Rusk's Army," and "Waggon Rd to Santa Fe". Many other features are noted, including range areas of the Apaches Mescalero and Comanche Indian tribes. Land features and conditions are also noted such as "beautiful prairie," "delightful prairie," "rich land," "excellent land," and "valuable land".

Many mapmakers that followed Arrowsmith copied liberally from this map, including some of its errors, such as the description of west Texas; "This tract of country as far as North Canadian Fork was explored by Le Grand in 1833. It is naturally fertile, well wooded, and with a fair proportion of water." This quote appeared on many maps until 1855.

"When this fine map was issued, Texas was an independent republic, having broken away from Mexico in 1836. During its brief life - it was annexed by the United States in 1845 - several maps of the republic were published with the aim of stimulating American immigration."

"That such a detailed map of Texas should appear in a British atlas can be explained by the fact that Britain saw a need to maintain the existence of Texas as a potential market for British goods, free of the restrictions of US commercial tariffs, and as a source of cotton independent of the rival cotton-producing Southern States of the USA."

"Texas could only compete with the South with the aid of slave labor, to which Britain was strongly opposed. British recognition of the new republic was therefore withheld until 1840 in the hope that slavery might be abolished in Texas, and that with emancipation, a free Texas might be used as a base from which to undermine slavery in the neighboring States of the USA."

"This map is one of the rarest published by John Arrowsmith in his London Atlas; it did not appear in atlases following the annexation in 1845."3

This striking Arrowsmith Map of Texas is an incomparable historical treasure.

Map of the State of Texas Compiled from the Records of the General Land Office of the State by Robert Creuzbaur, Houston, 1851, De Cordova, Jacob, Houston, 1851

A reproduction of an engraved map, with original colors, 88.6cm (34.9 inches) x 81.3 cm (32 inches) Scale: 1 inch = approximately 40 miles. The title ornately lettered and seals of the Republic of Texas and the General Land Office Texas. Texas insets: Inset shows Texas in present configuration after Compromise of 1850.

Native Jamaican Jacob de Cordova arrived in Texas in late 1839 and settled in Houston in 1845 following Texas' annexation to the United States. He served a term in the Texas House of Representatives and moved to Austin with his brother, but traveled extensively throughout Texas, including the frontiers.

De Cordova became keenly interested in land promotion and amassed nearly 1 million acres to sell to settlers. He spoke about the opportunities in Texas throughout cities on the eastern seaboard and as far away as England. His speeches were publicized in both America and Europe and, combined with two immigration guide books that he authored; De Cordova became a major influence on Texas immigration.

De Cordova found that land ownership transactions repeatedly required resolving conflicting land claims, a job given to the General Land Office of Texas, an agency established by the Texas Congress shortly after statehood. At the time, no map existed of Texas based on Land Office records, and De Cordova determined that one was required. He hired Robert Creuzbar, an employee of the Land Office, to assist him the compilation of a new map of the fledgling state. When it was published in 1851, the map immediately became a resource for immigrants to the new state desiring to own land. De Cordova included an inset map that illustrated the full extent of Texas boundary claims prior to the Mexican Compromise of 1850. Although Texas relinquished its claim on lands in the upper Rio Grande valley in exchange for a cash payment of $10m, Texas had retained ownership of all of it's public lands which set the state apart from other states in the Union and gave it a bright economical future.

Texas in 1836 by W. Kemble, New York, Harper & Brothers, 1846

A reproduction of an engraved map, with original colors. Original size: 8-1/4 inches X 9-1/4 inches.

The map appeared in J.W. Monette’s History of the Discovery and Settlement of the Valley of the Mississippi... . The map is a colonization map based on T.G. Bradford’s 1835 map of pre-republic Texas and indicates some confusion about the southern border which are displayed on both the Rio Bravo (Rio Grande) as well as the Nueces river. There are many notes such as "droves of wild cattle and horses", "Mexican garrison", "Elevated Prairies", and "Pawnee Indians", along with indications of exiting towns and the few roads. The map was engraved by W.Kemble, who also engraved the Texas map in Kendall’s Narrative of the Texan Santa Fé Expedition.

Map of Texas from the most recent authorities. by S. Augustus Mitchell, Philadelphia, 1846

A reproduction of an engraved map, with original colors. Original size: 11-3/4 inches X 14-3/4 inches.

This map was originally commissioned by Henry S. Tanner for his Universal Atlas in 1845, and engraved by C.S. Williams. Following Mitchell's acquisition of Tanners business in 1846, Mitchell leveraged his relationship with now famous map maker J.H. Young to create an entirely new map of Texas that would be published by Thomas, Cowperthwait, & Co. . In the interium, Mitchell continued to publish this C.S. Williams map, but replaced the old Tanner border with one of his own design. It appeared in the Universal Atlas until 1850.

The map depicts topographical information including towns, rivers, roads, and the site of "Fort Alamo" and the "Battle of San Jacinto 1836". A number of oversized Texas counties are displayed, including Robertson and Milam, which extend from central Texas to the Red River in the north.

The map denotes Comanche and Apache indian ranges and inaccurately describes the Llano Estacado as "fertile, well-wooded, with a fair proportion of water" as noted on John Arrowsmith's map of 1841.

Map of The State of Texas from the most recent authorities. by Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., Philadelphia, 1854

A reproduction of an engraved map, with original colors. Original size: 11-3/4 inches X 14-3/4 inches.

This is fourth and final state of the "new" State map of Texas created by J.H. Young and issued by Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. The color wash of the geo-political boundries is detailed. This is a very colorful and bright map.

In the early 1850's several additional frontier forts were established to help protect the settlers from raids by Comanche and Apache indians. Fort Belknap ¹, Fort Phantom Hill¹, Fort McKavett¹, Fort Chadbourne¹, Fort Clark¹, and Fort Mason¹ all appear on this version.