The Great Trails & Antique Maps of Texas & the Southwest

03/02/2017

181 Years Ago Today Texas Declared Independence
The Convention of 1836 convened 181 years ago to consider declaring independence from Mexico, making Texas an independent Republic. The convention comprised delegates from the seventeen Mexican municipalities in Texas and Pecan Point.They met at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where the chairman of the convention appointed George C. Childress to head a committee of five to draft a declaration of independence. Early in the morning on this day, March 2, in 1836, the committee drafted the Declaration, and the convention voted unanimously to accept the resolution.

This Texas Revolution Map by Al White illustrates many of the key details of that campaign for independence.

http://www.texasmapstore.com/Texas_Revolution_p/hist140.htm

10/05/2016

Check out our new Historical Map offering from up and coming cartographer Al White. "Texas Revolution" depicts all of the significant battles and troop movements and has the various flags used at the time across the top and key participants down the sides. The insets in the upper left and lower right are the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. This is a perfect gift for any Texas history buff:

https://www.texasmapstore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HIST140

07/26/2016

On this day in 1870, rancher Charles Goodnight married his sweetheart Mary Ann (Molly) Dyer. The two first met at Fort Belknap in 1864. Goodnight, a veteran cattleman, helped blaze the Goodnight-Loving Trail in 1866. After their wedding the couple settled on a ranch in Colorado for a few years before moving to the Palo Duro Canyon to establish the JA Ranch. Although the couple had no children, Molly became known as the "Mother of the Panhandle" to countless ranch hands. In later years the couple supported numerous schools, churches and other organizations as well as establishing the Goodnight College in 1898.

Our 1876 Great Southwestern Cattle Trails Map highlights many of the cattle trails of that era including the Goodnight-Loving Trail.

Use coupon code "Goodnight" now through July 31st to receive 20% off of this beautiful piece of history which was recently featured in National Geographic's new publication "The Old West".

http://www.texasmapstore.com/1876_Texas_Southwestern_Cattle_Trails_Map_p/hist080.htm

06/07/2016

Father's day is just around the corner. Save 20% on any map now through June 14th. Use the coupon code "Dad2016" during checkout to save big!

www.texasmapstore.com

03/23/2016

On this day in 1893, the Fort Worth Stock Yards were officially incorporated. The Fort Worth livestock market became the largest in Texas and the Southwest and consistently ranked between third and fourth among the nation’s largest terminal livestock markets for the five decades spanning 1905 to the mid 1950’s. By 1936 Texas had become the largest producing state for cattle with Fort Worth as the industry’s hub. The stockyards began to decline in the 1950’s as the industry became more decentralized, and today the Fort Worth Stockyards national Historic District is primarily a tourist attraction.

This aerial view of the stockyards was taken by S***t Richardson in 1949.

01/10/2016

On this day in 1901, the Spindletop oilfield was discovered on a salt dome south of Beaumont, marking the birth of the modern petroleum industry. Startled roughnecks fled as mud began bubbling from a well that had been spudded the previous October shooting up six tons of 4 inch drilling pipe. After several minutes of quiet, mud, then gas, then oil spurted out. The Lucas geyser, found at a depth of 1,139 feet blew a stream of oil over 100 feet high until it was capped nine days later. The discovery of the Spindletop oilfield had an incalculable effect on world and Texas history. Investors spent billions of dollars throughout the Lone Star state in search of oil and natural gas. Many of the major oil companies grew to incredible size as a result of their involvement at Spindletop including Texaco, Gulf Oil and Exxon.
Our 1901 map of Spindletop is an excellent depiction of the area south of Beaumont and the extensive oilfield activity in the area at that time.

http://www.texasmapstore.com/Jefferson_County_Beaumont_Sour_Lake_Oil_Field_1901_p/hist700.htm

12/03/2015

Facebook Friends - during this holiday season we wanted to show our appreciation for your support on Facebook by having a sale just for you. Use the coupon code "Facebook15" anytime now through December 15th and get 15% off your entire order!

Feel free to share with your friends on Facebook!

Best wishes to you and your family for a fantastic 2015 Holiday Season.

https://www.texasmapstore.com/

11/17/2015

On this day in 1884, a cattle industry convention meeting in St. Louis passed a resolution calling upon Congress to build and maintain a National Cattle Trail from the Texas/Oklahoma border north to the Canadian border. Pushed through by prominent Texas cattlemen, it was an attempt to thwart proposed northern quarantines against Texas cattle. Texas fever had inflicted heavy losses upon the northern range cattle industry by the early 1880’s, and these losses had caused northern cattlemen to lobby for these quarantines against infected livestock. In the wake of the National Trail proposal many northern states and Canada passed quarantine laws against Texas cattle, seriously restricting drives during the regular trailing season. Ultimately, the failure of the National Trail, the northern quarantines and the western migration of farmers and barbed wire sounded the death knell of trailing.
In the decades before, Texas cattlemen had relied upon a series of cattle trails to drive their cattle north to emerging railheads in Kansas and often further north to Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The drives moved slowly to allow the cattle to fatten along the way. The routes, while generally following a beaten path, would vary according to the availability of forage and water.
Many of these trails including the Chisholm, Shawnee, Goodnight-Loving and the Butterfield Overland mail route are depicted in our 1876 Map of the Southwestern Cattle Trails. In addition to the trail routes, the map includes a brief description of each of the major trails and the time period it was primarily in use.
This exclusive map from The Texas Map Store was recently featured in a new book from National Geographic titled “The Old West”.

http://www.texasmapstore.com/1876_Texas_Southwestern_Cattle_Trails_Map_p/hist080.htm

11/03/2015

On this day in 1891, construction began on the Pecos High Bridge in Val Verde County. Completed in early 1892 this structure, which was built to serve trains traveling on the Southern Pacific's Sunset Route, greatly shortened the route of the rail line. Located at a deep gorge of the Pecos River, the giant structure was an engineering marvel supported by 24 towers and spanning a total length of 2,180 feet. Rising 321 feet above the river, the bridge was the highest railroad bridge in North America and 3rd highest in the world. Judge Roy Bean of nearby Langtry served as coroner for workers killed during its construction.

You can see the Sunset Route as well as other rail routes in existence during that era in our Railroad and County Map of Texas from 1893.

http://www.texasmapstore.com/Railroad_County_historical_Map_Texas_1893_p/hist290.htm

10/28/2015

On this day in 1835, Texans and Mexicans skirmished near San Antonio at the battle of Concepción. Regarded by many as the opening battle of the Texas Revolution, some 90 Texans under the command of James Bowie and James W. Fannin, Jr., defeated a force of 275 Mexican soldiers and 2 cannons.

Our Revolutionary Texas map from John Davis depicts the historic events that transpired during the turbulent times of the Texas Revolution.

http://www.texasmapstore.com/Revolutionary_Texas_1836_p/hist030.htm

10/09/2015

On this day in 1871, Col. Ranald S. McKenzie led a campaign against Quanah Parker and the Comanche in West Texas at Blanco Canyon near the site of present Crosbyton. While the expedition was regarded as unsuccessful, it marked the first time the battle had been taken to the Comanche in the heart of Comancheria.

To learn more about the Comanches and war on the Texas Frontier, check out our Comanches and Texas Map:

http://www.texasmapstore.com/The_Comanches_and_Texas_p/hist180.htm

The Comanches and Texas

10/07/2015

We are proud to announce that the Great Trails & Antique Maps of Texas & the Southwest has merged with The Texas Map Store.

Check back here often and go like our Texas Map Store page to make sure you don't miss out on any of our fantastic gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season.

01/05/2015

Forth Worth Map friends... I will soon begin the dispersal of my large collections of Fort Worth maps and memorabilia. as well as my Texas maps, ephemera and memorabilia. These items are the result of living and collecting for 50 years in Texas.

Also included will be a nice selection of scarce Dallas, Houston and other maps of Texas Cities; USDA Soil maps, geographical county maps, mining and mineral maps, etc. .

Lack of space makes it impossible spread everything out to the public, so most pieces will be part of a group, not individually available. I am in the process of grouping all these items and will soon announce the first lots.

If you are seriously interested in acquiring some excellent Fort Worth and Texas maps, ephemera and memorabilia please email me to get on the list. I also suggest that you get a copy of my 1000+ Antique maps of Texas SVS which has many of the pieces that will be dispersed. They are available at the Stockyards Museum in the Livestock Exchange Building or from Amazon.

I will post on these pages and by email as the lots become available..

Pete Charlton.

12/24/2014

Merry Christmas everyone...

12/21/2014

Last minute gift ideas... http://lectricbooks.com/

Large format original poster maps, superb reproductions and digital compilations from antique Texas and southwestern maps in the Electric Books Collection

07/26/2014

Working through my collection today and found this nice 1852 Texas map by Augustus Mitchell. It comes from one of the schoolbook atlases of the time that Mitchell published. Fairly detailed for the time.

07/18/2014

Here's a very early Texas road map by the F.C. Gallup Co. who were well known regional map makers of that day. It shows a 1910 census and the map itself is probably about 1915-1919. I've had it in my collection for a number of years.

This was well before the Bankhead Highway came into existence and long before the federal highway numbering system was started. There are a number of "named trails" or roads that were identified by names, not numbers. Notice that the roads themselves did not necessarily go where our roads are today. And of course, no Interstates.

This is a low-res version but if you take it to full screen or download it you may be able to see good detail.

07/15/2014

The Stockyards Museum in the Livestock Exchange Building in the Stockyards Historic District has just replenished their supply of their stunning 1949 aerial photo poster of the stockyards..back in the day. It's hard to imagine until you see this poster how large the Stockyards and was and how many people they had working for them everyday. A low resolution version is shown here.

The large format posters are available in both 18" x 24" and the 24" x 36" sizes. Both would frame beautifully and be perfect for an office or den or professional wall.

07/12/2014

Map shows landowners, rental properties, tract boundaries, wagon roads, railroads, Fort Worth city limits, towns, structures, institutions, and precinct numbers. Includes legend, list of county officers, and table of precincts. Relief shown by hachures. Scale not given.

06/06/2014

One of the great Texas maps

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: How the British Saw Texas… In April 1841 an Englishman named John Arrowsmith published this map of the Republic of Texas in Soho Square, . The map shows rivers, creeks, mountainous and forested areas, counties, cities, towns, military routes, forts, camps, as well as Indian tribes, trails, and villages. It provides notes regarding wildlife, topography, and historical incidents. Altogether this map provides a flashback of how Great Britain (then ruled by a 22-year-old Queen Victoria) saw the 5-year-old Texas Republic. In the upper right corner, beneath the seals of the Republic and the General Land Office, a note reads: “Recognized as an Independent State by Great Britain, 16th Nov, 1840.” To view and download this map visit: www.tsl.texas.gov/cgi-bin/aris/maps/maplookup.php?mapnum=1647

05/18/2014

Our eBay, Amazon & Etsy stores are now open in the Tabs to the left. Between them you will find all the DVD Collections and maps that we currently publish. We will be adding more maps from time to time.

05/03/2014

FREE SHIPPING IN ALL STORES for a limited time!

We are continuing to work on our Facebook commercial pages to make our maps and collections more easily available to those who want them. This update adds large direct tabs to our on-line stores.

Note: All our products are produced in our Texas shop. We own original copies of all the maps, carefully scan them at high resolution and either print them on our own professional HP large-format printer or transfer them to our DVD collections. We provide immediate support via email.

01/26/2014

Washington-on-the-Brazos is the place Texans declared their independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. Park grounds open from 8am-5pm; Visitors Center open 9:30am-5pm

01/04/2014

I just opened a little shop on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AntiqueMapsofTexas?ref=si_shop

We have just opened our Etsy Store and will be adding Maps as we have time. We hope you will like what you see..

12/06/2013

11/20/2013

I think I'm about done for now on the Antique Maps of Texas website.. http://www.lectricbooks.com/

Antique Maps of Texas Shopping Catalog; Original Maps of the Lonesome Dove Cattle & Comanche Moon Trail, The Great Texas Cattle Trails, Hell's Half Acre, the Lost Maps of Texas, Fort Worth & Indian Territory on CDROM, Texaas Map Prints

11/12/2013

I've been working on an update to my Electric Books website for a while and I think it's ready for a public viewing. there are a number of issues that I still need to work out including sizing, text alignment, etc., but I hope to have those taken care of ini a few days. I thought you might be interested in seeing a little different approach to website viewing... http://www.lectricbooks.com/
Antique Maps of Texas the Chisholm & Western Trail, Lonesome Dove, Hells Half Acre, Indian...
www.lectricbooks.com
Original Maps of the Lonesome Dove Cattle & Comanche Moon Trail, The Great Texas Cattle Trails, Hell's Half Acre, the Lost Maps of Texas, Fort Worth & Indian Territory on CDROM, Texaas Map Prints

Original Maps of the Lonesome Dove Cattle & Comanche Moon Trail, The Great Texas Cattle Trails, Hell's Half Acre, the Lost Maps of Texas, Fort Worth & Indian Territory on CDROM, Texaas Map Prints

11/09/2013

Just published my Early Texas Road Maps CDROM project. About 225 early road maps & views from the Electric Books Collection. From teh early 190's to abut 1950. I had a lot of fun with this..

It also includes a special section on some of the Bankhead Highway related maps, documents, road logs and images that I have used in my Bankhead Highway research. These are working maps that I have used for years and some of them are pretty scruffy.

The CD is now available on eBay and Amazon... http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A1LQHHPWJO4KJB

08/26/2013

1000+ Lost Antique Maps of Texas ~ 5 Volumes on DVD ~ Introductory Offer $30.00 in Antiques, Maps, Atlases & Globes, United States (Pre-1900) | eBay

08/17/2013

WE have a lot of iriginal Texas city maps in our collection. Some of them are detailed and some are very good looking. But the 1920 Greater Fort Worth City Map by CH Rogers is both beautiful and detailed. Much of it appears to be meticulously hand-drawn with and amazing amount little known vintage detail. The original map is large and there was apparently and even larger version available back in its day.

I have used this map for over 10 years in research and still have not found everything that Rogers drew into it. The more you look at it, the better the understanding of how things were in Fort Worth at the beginning of the Roaring 20's. The image displayed is low resolution and will not begin to allow full detail.

This map is available in several sizes from our eBay Store. There's a tab at the upper right of this page that will get you there.

08/16/2013

We occasionally get requests for information about purchasing our printed maps or CD/DVD map collections. We have just added an "eBay Store" tab to his page at the top right above. In addtion here is the link to our Amazon Store: http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A1LQHHPWJO4KJB

Antique Texas Maps @ Amazon.com

05/14/2013

Amazon & eBay store update: We have now added the 16" x 20" and 11" x 14" sheet sizes to most of our printed map listings on the on-line stores.

The big 24" x 36" and the 18" x 24" sizes are still by far the most popular, but we have had a number of requests for the smaller sizes recently. Times change and we try to change with them...

The map shown is an image from a scarce 1846 Texas "stovepipe" map published by Augustus Miller. The original is in our collection..

Here's our recently updated website with the store links: www.lectricbooks.com