Henry Wellge, Perspective Map of Fort Worth, Tex., Milwaukee: American Publishing Company, 1891, Map #89083, Non-GLO Digital Images, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX.

Perspective Map of Fort Worth, Texas, 1891

This colorful 1891 illustration of Fort Worth, shown from the north, is an update to draftsman Harry Wellge’s detailed 1886 map.

Seen here are the rails and smokestacks, indicating Fort Worth as a growing industrial hub.

That an update was required so soon demonstrated the pace of the city’s growth. This map served as an excellent promotional tool in a time of great economic expansion, which earned Fort Worth the nickname the “Queen City of the Prairies.” Smokestacks dotting the landscape indicate Fort Worth’s emergence as an industrial center. The rail depot, the key to the city’s success, is featured prominently on this map.

Seen here is the Spring Palace, which burned to the ground within minutes on the night of May 30, 1890, a year before this map was made.

In addition to the rail depot, several other notable landmarks are depicted. Texas Wesleyan University (later Fort Worth University), which had recently expanded its campus, occupies a large swath of open land at the south edge of town. The Spring Palace, created as a center for culture, education, and entertainment, appears south of the rail depot despite having burned down in 1890. The Clear Fork of the Trinity River, traversable by three bridges in 1891, forms the western border of the city’s urban development.

A reproduction of this map can be purchased on the GLO website.