Eltea Armstrong, Bailey County, Austin, TX: Texas General Land Office, 1956, Map #73074, Map Collection, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX.

Bailey County, 1956

Underwritten by the Texas Historical Foundation

This post was underwritten by a generous contribution from the Texas Historical Foundation.

Women’s History Month is celebrated annually in March to recognize and commemorate the achievements and contributions of women to history, culture, science, and all aspects of our society. At the General Land Office, we’d like to take this opportunity to highlight the remarkable career and lasting contributions to Texas history of one of our most accomplished employees: Eltea Armstrong. Armstrong’s work over her thirty-seven years of service at the GLO remains a vital part of our map collection.

Bailey County, 1956. GLO Map #73074

In 1956, Armstrong completed this survey of Bailey County, which is located in the Texas Southern High Plains along the border of New Mexico. Named for Alamo hero Peter J. Bailey III, the county was created in 1876 though it was not fully organized until a 1919 election established Muleshoe as the county seat. The county took so long to organize because the bulk of its land was part of the XIT Ranch, which was established on land set aside to fund the construction of the Texas Capitol building in Austin.

Detail showing portions of Bailey County set aside to raise funds for building the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Armstrong indicates the county seat of Muleshoe with the Panhandle & Santa Fe Railway running through it, as well as the Brazos River, and two of its forks, which crosses the width of the county.

This map, drawn at a scale of 2000 varas to one inch, shows the abundant areas of land set aside by the Constitution of 1876 to fund the construction of a new capitol building (State Capitol Land) and public schools (School Lands). Article XVI, Section 57 of the Constitution states:

Three million acres of the public domain are hereby appropriated and set apart for the purpose of erecting a new State capitol and other necessary public buildings at the seat of government, said lands to be sold under the direction of the Legislature; and the Legislature shall pass suitable laws to carry this section into effect.

Detail of map showing areas of Bailey County set aside to provide funds for public schools in the counties of Swisher, Foard, Roberts, Ochiltree, Roberts, and Deaf Smith.

Article VII addresses the educational needs of Texas children and established the public school fund. Section 2 notes “one-half of the public domain of the State, and all sums of money that may come to the State from the sale of any portion of the same, shall constitute a perpetual public school fund.” This article of the Constitution of 1876 also stipulates lands to be set aside for assorted asylums and for the establishment of state universities.

Detail showing the indication of the Joint Commission 1911 — Re-establishment Texas-New Mexico Boundary

The Panhandle & Santa Fe Railroad crosses the upper right corner of the map, passing through the county seat of Muleshoe on the Brazos River. Also noted is the demarcation of the reestablishment of the Texas-New Mexico boundary made by the U.S. Congress Joint Commission of 1911. The commission corrected an error of an earlier survey that gave a two-mile-wide strip of New Mexico to Texas.

In the lower third of the county, Armstrong indicates the Muleshoe National Wildlife Preserve (now Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge) with a large flock of birds in flight. Established in 1935, the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge is the oldest wildlife refuge in Texas. In 1980, this 6,440-acre habitat received the designation of National Natural Landmark because it is one of the last shortgrass prairies in the southern High Plains of Texas. Armstrong also took inspiration for the map title decoration from the wildlife preserve depicting a mated pair of mallards in flight at the top of the survey sheet.

[left] Done in the pointillist style that was Armstrong’s signature, this mated pair of mallard ducks fly across the title block of the map into a swirl of clouds. [center] Armstrong’s detailed artwork often included animals. Here she shows a pair of mallard ducks taking flight, presumably from the waters of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge. [right] Detail of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge area decorated with flocks of birds.

Reproductions of all of Eltea Armstrong’s beautifully handcrafted maps are available for purchase at the GLO Map Store.