Map of the Cotton Belt Route
These railroad lines ran through regions where cotton was the predominate crop
From 1891 to 1992, the St. Louis Southwestern Railway operated between St. Louis, Missouri, and various points in the states of Arkansas and Texas. It was nicknamed "The Cotton Belt Route," or simply Cotton Belt, because its rails ran primarily through regions where cotton was the predominate crop.
In Texas, the line originated in Tyler where the "Tyler Tap" connected Tyler to the International & Great Northern Railroad (I&GNRR) and the Texas & Pacific Railroad.
The St. Louis Compress Company later invested in the railroad as an alternate route to bring down freight rates for its cotton.
Lender
Courtesy Texas General Land Office
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Time Period: 1866 - 1936
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Exhibit: Mapping Texas
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