The Seacoast of Texas40. 25 by 38. 75 inches framed. 31. 25 by 27. 75 inches unframed. Until a well developed system of railroads was completed in the late 1800s, access by Texans to the seacoast of the Gulf of Mexico was crucial to the success of virtually every enterprise in the state. Ships were sailing from and in between various Texas ports connected to New Orleans and then onwards to the east coast. The only alternative travel was by dirt wagon road to northwest