Map of the Southwest Railway System

This colorful pocket map of the United States shows the growing network of railroads throughout the country in the 1880s. Special emphasis is given to the rail lines in the central and southwestern United States, including the Missouri, Kansas & Texas; the Texas & Pacific; and the International and Great Northern railroads. The bold, dotted lines list every town where trains stopped in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.

Railroad maps became increasingly popular in the decades following the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. The 1880s represented the heyday for railroads and their promotional maps, as rail lines linked the populous eastern United States with the developing American West and Southwest. Companies created maps like this to promote their services and highlight their connections to the American railway network.