Old Spanish Trail (auto trail)
Encyclopedia
The Old Spanish Trail auto highway (the OST) once spanned the country with a full 3000 miles (4,828 km) of roadway from ocean to ocean crossing 67 counties and eight states along the Southern border of the United States
. Work on the auto highway began in 1915 and, by the 1920s, the trail linked St. Augustine, Florida
, to San Diego, California, with its center and headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. The cities in between boasted a shared heritage of Spanish missions, forts and Spanish colonization.
The current work of revitalization, historic preservation, public/private partnerships, restoration, and road enhancements, follows the lead of the original founders of the OST, who involved greatly diverse interests in building and beautifying the original roadway.
through Orange
and Vidor
; when the trail reaches the Neches River
, it merges with Interstate 10 crossing the Purple Heart Bridge, then detours through Downtown Beaumont
. While in downtown the trail meets College Street and goes directly east from there to Liberty
.
A section of the trail became a street, still named Old Spanish Trail, in Houston, running though the Texas Medical Center
complex just south of downtown, connecting it with the Third Ward, the University of Houston
, and the East End.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Work on the auto highway began in 1915 and, by the 1920s, the trail linked St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, to San Diego, California, with its center and headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. The cities in between boasted a shared heritage of Spanish missions, forts and Spanish colonization.
Future
Much of that trail still exists, and preparations have already begun for a decade-long Centennial Celebration to begin in 2019 and end with a 2029 motorcade grand finale from St. Augustine to San Diego. The present-day, all-volunteer Old Spanish Trail Centennial Celebration Association OST100 is collecting oral histories, travel logs and news articles related to the Old Spanish Trail in order to conserve the roadways, businesses and historic sites of the original Old Spanish Trail auto highway both physically and in the memory of the American people.The current work of revitalization, historic preservation, public/private partnerships, restoration, and road enhancements, follows the lead of the original founders of the OST, who involved greatly diverse interests in building and beautifying the original roadway.
Route
The OST largely follows what later became U.S. Highway 90 in the east and U.S. Highway 80 in the westTexas Route
In eastern Texas the Old Spanish Trail can still be seen in many places. The trail runs alongside Interstate 10Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
through Orange
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
and Vidor
Vidor, Texas
Vidor is a city in western Orange County, Texas, United States. A city of Southeast Texas, it lies at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Farm to Market Road 105, six miles east of Beaumont. The town is mainly a bedroom community for the nearby refining complexes in Beaumont and Port Arthur and...
; when the trail reaches the Neches River
Neches River
The Neches River flows for through east Texas to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs, Lake Palestine and B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir are located on the Neches. Several cities are located along the Neches River Basin, including Evadale, Tyler, Lufkin, Silsbee,...
, it merges with Interstate 10 crossing the Purple Heart Bridge, then detours through Downtown Beaumont
Beaumont Commercial District
The Beaumont Commercial District is located in Downtown Beaumont, Texas. The district consists of various styles of buildings, including 6 highrises built before 1932. The district is registered on the NRHP as a U.S. Historic District. The historic district is roughly bounded by Willow, Neches,...
. While in downtown the trail meets College Street and goes directly east from there to Liberty
Liberty, Texas
Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Liberty County, Texas, United States and a part of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 8,033 at the 2000 census....
.
A section of the trail became a street, still named Old Spanish Trail, in Houston, running though the Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
complex just south of downtown, connecting it with the Third Ward, the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, and the East End.