Commissioner Bush Follows Long-Standing Tradition of Mapping Texas
The General Land Office has developed an extensive map collection that details the history of Texas dating back almost 500 years. These maps were created to serve many purposes — to illustrate titled and patented surveys, to advertise public land available for claim or purchase, to describe the vast and changing terrain, or to commemorate a specific theme.
An important portion of the GLO map collection has been developed from a sixty-year-old tradition that started when Commissioner Bascom Giles developed a commemorative map. Since 1954 each commissioner has been tasked with developing their own commemorative map focusing on a theme important to their administration.
Commissioner George P. Bush created the Energy Map of Texas, which highlights the 500-year history of energy production in Texas and locates significant wells, pipelines, and wind farms. Bush’s map takes a step into the digital age and is complemented by an interactive web site, www.CommissionerBushMaps.com, which interactively tells the story of energy in Texas.
Limited edition first-run prints of this map can be purchased online at www.savetexashistory.org for $20, with 100% of the proceeds going towards GLO map and document conservation.
“God has blessed Texas with abundant energy resources, and this map is the first to capture that story and connect it to the great epic of Texas. Having the opportunity to create a new map for the people of Texas and become a part of this great tradition is one of the highest honors of serving as Texas Land Commissioner.”
-Commissioner George P. Bush
Starting in 1954 Commissioner Giles released Texas, which was drafted by renowned GLO draftsperson Eltea Armstrong. This depiction of the state is utilitarian and unadorned. A simple title block featuring the state flag, as well as the seal under six flags, make up the map’s decorations. The minimalist legend indicates state parks and forests, as well as the county seats and their elevations. One thing that Giles added was his portrait and signature — after all, like any good politician or mapmaker, he wanted to let everyone know who was responsible for this maps creation.
Giles, a former GLO draftsman, felt it was his duty to produce this map, saying
“To the General Land Office have come many men and women seeking a map such as this, one which is accurate in its locations and its boundaries, one which is ageless and undated, one which suggests the land’s story and yet leaves the opportunity for further embellishment. I have considered the compilation and careful disposition of this map both a duty and a responsibility.”
Appointed commissioner in 1955, James Earl Rudder continued the custom, adding a table to Giles’ base map that detailed the lands and mineral estate of the Permanent School Fund through the end of fiscal year 1956, and included pioneer trails. Rudder dedicated this map to the state’s schoolchildren, and hoped to inspire “their further devotion and dedication to the progress and greater Glory of Texas.”
The next Commissioner, Bill Allcorn continued the tradition, though he did not make any substantive changes, even keeping the same text as his predecessor.
Jerry Sadler, the next commissioner, did not follow the convention of mapping the entire state. Perhaps the closest to a commemorative map for Sadler was the 1962 Padre Island Under Six Flags. Like every Commissioner’s map before, this map was drafted by Eltea Armstrong. While not statewide in scope, it was created in response to the Tidelands Controversy of the 1950s, and the proposed 80-Mile Federal Seashore that would become Padre Island National Seashore.
Sadler’s successor, Bob Armstrong, returned to the original basemap created in 1954, though he did not include a personalized message or his signature. The only noticeable change from the original was to place his name and the year, 1971, in the title block.
In 1986, Garry Mauro introduced one of the most popular maps at the Land Office, the Natural Heritage Map of Texas. Mauro, a committed environmentalist, changed the precedent for commemorative maps at the GLO. He launched a trend in which commissioner maps began to reflect issues that were most important to their respective administrations. The oversized, colorful map features illustrations of numerous endangered plants and animal species found in Texas, as well as notes on their scientific family name and locations where they can be found. Mauro designed the map “to encourage the preservation of rare and vulnerable Texas wildlife and plants now threatened with extinction” in order to “ensure that we leave a rich and diverse inheritance for those who come after us.”
David Dewhurst, the first Land Commissioner of the twenty-first century, found inspiration on one of the most important maps of Texas, Jacob de Cordova’s 1849 Map of the State of Texas. Dewhurst’s 1849: A Lone Star Rising features an enhanced view of the inset from De Cordova’s map and is accompanied by images taken from several documents held in the GLO Archives.
Jerry Patterson’s commemorative map, the Great Military Map of Texas, focuses on the military history of Texas, from 1685 through 1916, and is divided into five distinct periods. The map showcases one of Patterson’s biggest interests, Texas military history. It features numerous renderings of military conflicts, as well as a legend describing specific battles.
The newest commissioner map, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush’s Energy Map of Texas Showing Significant Events and Well & Pipeline Locations Between 1543 and 2015, continues the tradition that started over sixty years ago but has a distinct look and feel that is unique. Commissioner Bush’s map focuses on the energy history of Texas and more importantly, indicates that Texas’ energy production has a bright future.
