This is a fascinating waxed linen manuscript map of Gonzales County drawn by C.H. Appleton for the Texas Land Department. Gonzales County, south of Austin, was one of the original counties of the Republic of Texas. Gonzales, the county seat, was the capital of Green DeWitt's colony and is often referred to as the "Cradle of Texas Independence" because it was the location of the first battle of the Texas Revolution. By the end of 1836 much of the colony was organized into Gonzales County. In 1846, after annexation, the boundaries were restructured as shown on this map. All the privately held land with each landowner's name is minutely inscribed on the map. Several pioneering family names are present including DeWitt, Kerr, Dickinson and Berry. Some of the tracts are colored in ink, but there is no key describing the designations.

The land office maps are some of the most accurate and interesting maps of Texas produced during the nineteenth century. They provide an invaluable record of geographical information and land titles. This maps also bears the stamp of the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Company (G.H. & S.A. Ry Co), which was the first railroad to operate in Texas. A potential railway between Luling and Gonzales is sketched on the map, along with a roughly noted section house. This railway was built during the 1880s, but by 1933 the section between Luling and Gonzales was abandoned. This map of a pivotal Texas county provides an intriguing glimpse into Texan history.

References:

Condition: B+

In remarkable shape for a working map. There are a few small holes, damp stains, county land department ink stamps, and there are some mounting remnants on the verso.