A Geographically Correct Map of the State of Texas

Chartered in 1871, the Texas & Pacific Railway Company (T&P) played a crucial role in building a southern transcontinental railroad through Texas. They were given the right to lay track from Marshall in East Texas westward to Sierra Blanca, Texas, roughly 80 miles from El Paso. There it connected with the Southern Pacific and the tracks continued to California.

This foldable pocket map shows the extent of the T&P system as of 1876, represented by the dotted black line. The solid black line represents proposed or under construction tracks. Five years later, by 1881, the T&P had 1,034 miles of track in Texas.

A red stamp appears on the lower-central portion of the map encouraging potential settlers to contact a local land and emigration agent for information on land, railroad fares, time tables, and more. The reverse side features railroad schedules and advertisements as well as descriptions of the booming Texas population and economy.