Web link added from a suggestion from Ethan who is working on his Boy Scout Railroading Merit Badge. Olivia Ingram the Children's Librarian at the Fullers Library assisted Ethan.
"The geography of the massive state of Texas is incredibly diverse. There are mountains, winding rivers, scraggly desert, forests, elevations changes and more. With a maximum width of over 770 miles and a length of 800 miles it is an incredibly difficult state to travel without a proper means of conveyance. Today it is taken for granted that you can travel across the state of Texas in a matter of hours in a method of your choosing. Before railroads were laid down in the mid-19th century, travel in the area of Texas was limited to waterways and Native American paths and trails. Roads, where they existed, were of poor quality. Flood-prone rivers made crossing a challenge in the best of conditions. The majority of the population in Texas was clustered in the southern and eastern parts of the state around the 1830's, as the west was still considered too wild. However, as railroads became more widespread and necessary, travel to the western reaches of the state became a reality and led to rapid development throughout the region and beyond."