As railroad expansion grew in southeast Texas toward the end of the 19th century, small towns anticipated economic booms from their proximity to the rail lines. This colorful map depicts one such town, Ingleside, which deemed itself The Center of All Thats Good about the bay area. A prominent feature is the newly built Ingleside Hotel , which promised patrons sweeping views of Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf Coast.
In the late-19th century there was a push to expand and develop Texas Gulf Coast towns. As with its close neighbor Rockport, and with the nationwide City Beautiful Movement , developers marketed Ingleside as a place of beauty and prosperity. This gorgeous colored lithograph is a promotional map for the developers Kolp and Allen. Displaying lots of varying sizes and emphasizing the developments proximity to the coast, this advertisement boasts of the viability of the land for growth, and showcases a variety of parks and green spaces, including a Driving Park for carriages. The City Beautiful Movement advocated American towns focus on health and beautification, which would lead to civic loyalty, virtue, and morale.
An unusual aspect of this map is the inclusion of an advertisement for the Hotel Ingleside. Including a reputable, first-class hotel spoke to the wealthy clientele Kolp and Allen were trying to attract for their development. The inset of Corpus Christi Bay highlights the proximity of Ingleside to other coastal towns via boat, and connects the city to the rest of the state with the inclusion of accessible railroad lines. Noting railroad lines to Mexico and South America, and the deep water terminal emphasizes access to international trade for the city's businesses and residents.