Pilot Grove in Helmuth Holtz's 1865 Map
I was asked to share a map showing the stagecoach route going through Pilot Grove (Grayson County, Texas), so here y'all go! This is the fabulous Holtz Map, published in 1865. It is a gargantuan resource that measures 19x7 feet and, lucky for us, has been digitized by the Library of Congress.
Publication date does not mean creation date. When this map was drawn, the routes indicated were present prior to the Civil War (1861-1865). Therefore, the stagecoach routes shown on this map stopped running during the conflict and some resumed after the war. Especially Pilot Grove's access during the conflict was spotty, as violence and uncertainty plagued the area during this time (Lee Peacock feud, Quantrill's gang).
Today, Pilot Grove is just a speck on the map, but it once was a crossroads for mail and passenger stage lines.
To view this map in its entirety, click here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2002622358/
