Texas had been in dispute since the Texas Revolution of 1835-36, until the capture and exile of Mexican President Santa Anna in 1845. Texas became part of the United States after the Mexican-American War (1846-48).
Fort Worth was established in 1849, the city was named in honor of Major General William Jenkins Worth, a hero of the Mexican-American War and commander of the "Department of Texas" when he died in 1849.
The arrival of the Texas & Pacific Railway in 1876, made Fort Worth a major transportation center for trail drives using the Old Chisholm Trail north to Dodge City, and the westernmost point for railway transportation of cattle at the time.
The "Queen City of the Plains" developed a reputation as a rough and tumble town, with a section on the south-side called "Hell's Half Acre", filled with gambling saloons and brothels, there to take advantage of the cowboys who passed through on trail drives. A shoot-out on Main Street and the brutal murder of a prostitute in 1887 led to reforms that tamed "Hell's Half Acre".
The city of Houston was founded in 1836 near the banks of the Buffalo Bayou. Named after Sam Houston, the city was incorporated in 1837, and has since grown to be the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States. The city saw many bursts in population growth due to the early port activities and the railroad system, as well as the discovery of oil in 1901.
The city of Dallas was established near the Trinity River in 1841, and was incorporated as a city in 1856. It has grown to become the third largest city in Texas, and the eighth largest in the country.
Texarkana was specifically located on a site that had been a "Gateway to the Southwest", even during the period when the Caddo Indian tribe had a village there. Archeological evidence suggests that "The Great Southwest Trail", which passes by the Caddo village site which is now Texarkana, had been used for centuries as the main route of travel for Indians headed from the Mississippi River country to the South and West. The location provided a logical meeting point for the railroad expansion planned by the Texas and Pacific Railroad, to bring the track to the state line from the south, with the Cairo and Fulton Railroad, extending their line west, across Arkansas to the state line.
The town was ready for the meeting of the lines, with the town's first business, a drug and grocery store, opened by George M. Clark in December of 1873. The following month, the roads were joined. The town plan on the Texas side of the state line was platted by the Texas and Pacific Railway Company. The town's main street, State Line Avenue, was the actual border line between Arkansas and Texas. The State of Texas officially granted Texarkana its charter in 1876.
Prior to 1886, there was a post office on the Arkansas side of town only. Postal officials granted the Texas side of Texarkana its own post office after repeated requests, but the Texas side post office was only open from 1886 to 1892. It was not until the early 1900's that Texarkana would officially be given a Texas post office designation.
This outline map was published in 1926 by Ira D. Dodge. It shows cities, towns, counties, and railroad stations. A color-coded list of railroads and their connections is included.
There are inset maps of Fort Worth, Dallas, and Houston.