Texas history is getting mapped in a whole new light, and it’s just received a prestigious award for the effort.
The Texas General Land Office’s ambitious cartographic project, “Texas Takes Shape: A History in Maps from the General Land Office,” has been awarded second place for the 2025 Presidio La BahÃa Award from the Sons of the Republic of Texas. The recognition highlights the book’s contribution to preserving Texas history through its extensive collection of historic maps.
Mapping the Lone Star Legacy
“I am honored that the Sons of the Republic of Texas—valued partners in preserving and celebrating Texas history—have recognized Texas Takes Shape with second place for the 2025 Presidio La BahÃa Award,” said Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who has personal connections to the state’s storied past. As a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a ninth-generation Texan whose family history dates back to Austin’s Colony, Buckingham brings a unique perspective to her role overseeing the state’s vast historical archives.
What makes this collection so significant? The GLO serves as steward of over 45,000 historic maps, representing some of the most important cartographic treasures in Texas history. This massive collection has been distilled into a comprehensive two-part, nine-chapter book featuring more than 100 maps that visually narrate Texas history from colonial frontiers through the Republic era and into statehood.
“The product of years of collaborative research from GLO staff, Texas Takes Shape is the first book to bring these manuscript and printed maps together in a way that visually narrates the evolution of Texas — from colonial frontiers to the Republic to statehood,” the Land Office explained in a statement.
Historical Recognition
The Presidio La BahÃa Award isn’t just any accolade. It’s bestowed annually by the Sons of the Republic of Texas to recognize “outstanding published materials that contribute to the preservation and study of Texas history, particularly the Spanish Colonial Period.” Such recognition underscores the book’s significance in documenting the cartographic evolution of the Lone Star State.
For Buckingham, who made history herself in 2022 by becoming Texas’ first female Land Commissioner, the award carries special meaning. “As a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a ninth-generation Texan whose family history dates back to the era of Austin’s Colony, I understand the importance of organizations like the SRT and DRT in safeguarding our shared heritage,” she noted.
The book represents more than just a collection of old maps. It’s a visual journey through Texas’s transformation — from contested frontier to independent republic to American state. Each map tells a story of exploration, settlement, conflict, and growth that shaped the Texas we know today.
Through these carefully preserved documents, readers can trace the evolution of Texas’s borders, the development of its cities, and the changing understanding of its geography over centuries. It’s history told not through words alone, but through the evolving visual representation of a land and its people.
For historians, cartography enthusiasts, and proud Texans alike, “Texas Takes Shape” offers a unique window into the past — one that’s now been recognized for its contribution to preserving the rich tapestry of Texas history for generations to come.
