Stephen Austin's Maps of Texas

Stephen F. Austin created his first map of Texas in 1830 to promote American immigration to his colony. The second map, from 1840, reflected changes that had taken place since Texas became a Republic. The two maps served as the cartographical foundation of the region for almost two decades.

Stephen F. Austin (1793–1836) was Texas's first empresario, having been granted permission to settle 300 families in Mexican Texas in 1823. He created the map to give Mexico a precise depiction of its territory. To do so, Austin hired surveyors, charted the coast, and acquired boundary surveys from General Mier y Terán on behalf of the Mexican government. The result was a highly detailed, accurate map that was the first of the region to be commercially produced in the United States, where it was used to promote American immigration to Austin's colony.

Austin's map was updated and reissued in 1840, on the 10th anniversary of the original map's publication, adding more information as new counties were established. The 1840 edition overlays the new counties with the old empresario colonies. The map was included in Francis Moore, Jr.'s, 1840 book, Map and Description of Texas.