You do not have to live in Texas to love collecting antique Texas maps. Old Texas maps tell of the history of the area, the battles and its growth. Yet they are also beautiful works of art, attracting collectors of things of beauty as well as history buffs.
Antique Texas Maps
There are hundreds of different antique maps of Texas each with its own unique beauty and historical interest. The following is a very small sampling of these popular antique collectibles:
- Texas 1835 by J. H. Young produced just before Texas declared itself independent of Mexico
- The Republic of Texas, 1844
- Republic of Texas 1845 by John Davis
- Revolutionary Texas 1836 drawn by John
- Map of the United States of Mexico 1846 by Henry S. Tanner
- 1860 Pre-Civil War County Map of Texas by S.A. Mitchell
- Houston & Texas Central Railroad 1867
- 1876 Great Texas and Southwestern Cattle Trails
- Austin 1839
- Insets of German Communities in Texas 1850
- Texas 1919, Texas Highway Department
- Official map of Dallas County 1886 by Murphy & Bolanz
- Worley's Map of Greater Dallas 1905
- Fort Worth 1891 by Henry Wellge
- 1872 Texas Counties and Indian Territory Map
Where to Find Antique Maps of Texas Online
Lone Star Antique Maps and Prints
Lone Star Antique Maps and Prints specializes in rare and antiquarian maps of Texas that date back to the sixteenth century. Their antique map inventory is divided into eras based on Texas history. The eras include:
- Spanish Texas - covering the years 1519-1821
- Mexican Texas - covering the years 1821-1836
- Republic of Texas - covering the years 1836-1846
- Antebellum Texas - covering the years 1846-1861
- Civil War Texas - covering the years 1861-1865
- Nineteenth Century Texas - covering the years 1865-1900
- Twentieth Century Texas - covering the years 1900 to date
Geographicus Fine Antique Maps
Geographicus Fine Antique Maps has many beautiful original antique maps of Texas including:
- 1747 Ruyter Map of Florida, Mexico and the West Indies
- 1771 Bonne Map of Mexico (Texas), Louisiana and Florida
- 1814 Thomson Map of Mexico and Texas
- 1872 McNally Map of Texas, New Mexico and Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
- 1881 Bradley Map of Texas and Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
The First Map with the Name Texas
Housed at the Sanderus Antiquariat in Belgium, a business specializing in antique maps, fine prints and rare books, is the first map that used the name Texas on it. The map, made by the cartographer Guillaume De L'Isle in 1718, was part of a plano bound atlas called Composite Atlas by Covens & Mortier. Since it is from a plano atlas, the map does not have a centerfold line and is in excellent condition.
The map is a copper engraving on heavy paper called Carte de la Louisiane et du Cours du Mississippi, and is a map of the United States with Mobile Bay and the mouth of the Mississippi River inset. This beautiful map, priced at almost $5,000, is:
- The first map that had the name Texas (used in the phrase "Mission de los Teijas in 1716")
- The first map to accurately show the expeditions of Louis de St. Denis, Hernado de Soto and Henri de Tonty
- The first map to show accurately the lower area of the Mississippi River and the area surrounding it in a large scale
- Considered the main source of all maps of the Mississippi area that were made later
Reproductions of this antique map are available from The Texas Map Store priced at approximately $30.
A Word of Caution
There are many reproductions of antique Texas maps that are very well made sold on the Internet. Many people enjoy collecting reproductions and know that is what they are purchasing. Always carefully read what it is you are getting when making a purchase. You do not want to pay for a reproduction when you think you are buying an original.
