- Title: 1910 MAP OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND VICINITY
- Author: Jno. Stoner, Texas Map and Blueprinting Company
- Date/Location: 1910, Houston
- Condition: See description
- Inches: 20 1/2 x 18 5/8
- Centimeters: 52.07 x 47.24
- Product ID: 308363
Supremely Rare Map of Houston
Part cadastral, part city map showing Houston in great detail. Houston is seen as a crazy quilt of subdivisions laid out at multiple angles. The original city comprising a large part of the central business district (CBD) is of course on a southwest to northeast axis allowing maximum frontage to Buffalo Bayou. Other parts of the city adhere to the more common north-south grid, while some neighborhoods intersect at acute angles, bedeviling Houston drivers down to the present day. This detailed map shows railroad depots, including a round house just north of the CBD, industrial sites, streetcar lines, and dotted lines for Main and Fannin Street “Extensions” just south of today’s museum district. The Rice University property is labelled Rice Institute Property and is undeveloped, awaiting the 1912 opening of the University.
The map was created by Jno. H. Stoner, Engineer and Surveyor. It boasts a printed price of $12.50. That would be the equivalent of $418 today – which makes us scratch our heads a bit, as it seems there would not be much of a market for such an expensive map. The usual sources do not provide any details about the Texas Map and Blueprinting Company creators of the map.
Houston in 1910
In 1910, Houston was undergoing rapid transformation, emerging as a major commercial and industrial center in Texas. The city’s population had surged to 78,800, nearly doubling from the previous decade, with a significant African American community making up almost one-third of its residents. This period saw an influx of immigrants, including large numbers from Mexico, who settled in areas like the Second Ward to work in railroad and manufacturing jobs. Houston’s economic growth was fueled by its thriving cotton, lumber, oil, and rice industries, with nearly 1.3 million tons of freight passing through its wharves and bank deposits per capita far exceeding the national average. The city also began to see the impact of the oil boom following the Spindletop discovery, and the groundwork was being laid for the Houston Ship Channel, which would soon make Houston a vital deep-water port.
Urban development was marked by the construction of new landmarks and infrastructure. In 1910, Houston broke ground on the Rice Institute (now Rice University), and the city’s skyline began to rise with the construction of its tallest building at the time-a 16-story skyscraper designed by Samuel F. Carter, which many locals initially doubted for its stability.
Progressive Era reforms led to improved building codes and safer working conditions, making new structures more robust. The city expanded its streetcar network and began placing street signs on major corners, while innovations like the police department’s use of motorcycles and the first airplane demonstration signaled Houston’s embrace of modernity. These developments, combined with a diverse and growing population, positioned Houston on the cusp of becoming the state’s leading metropolis.
Condition
Age related toning, marginal loss lower left just into image.
Rarity
Unknown outside the holding in the Houston Public Library.