This 1824 German map of Arkansas Territory is a lot more illuminating than many others from the same period I've encountered.

Zebulon Pike's journey to the Red River was beset with problems and intrigue.

The Red River is a shifty river, but that's not meant as an insult.

Sanborn Maps from the 1880s tell me that the burning building was the Crockett Hotel in Bonham, Texas.

Wegefarth County was platted and promoted in 1873 to white homesteaders to push out native people.

The Cossatot River derives from a French word meaning"crushed head," and in 1833, it was to be spanned by a toll bridge.

The Cross Timbers is well defined on this 1844 map by Josiah Gregg.

The Central National Road connected Dallas, Texas to Washington, Arkansas.

Mercer's Colony in northeast Texas received permission in January of 1844 to form a separate land grant process from Peters Colony.

One of my favorite maps of the Red River is Nicolas de Fer's illustrated map published in France in 1718.

A map from 1872 details some original cattle trails that ran through Texas after the Civil War.

I was pleasantly surprised to recognize that the Jefferson to Shreveport Waterway still exists as Twelve Mile Bayou.

Fort Lynn was a lumber town in southwest Arkansas surrounded by several logging camps.

Two maps of the rapids at Alexandria during the Civil War reside in the Library of Congress.

Why was there an outrage about this map that landed in the newspapers?

The U.S. Army was instrumental in the slaughter of bison to destroy the Plains tribes.

The bones of the Natchez warriorss could be seen there years afterwards at Lake Sang pour Sang — "Blood for Blood."

Randolph B. Marcy, who knew Texas and Indian Territory well, was tasked to lead an expedition to document the Red River in 1852.

Stephen F. Austin traced a Mexican map of the Province of Texas from 1818 and painted it with water colors.

This Province of Texas map by Mexico was drawn and colored in 1818.