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State Highway 12 (Texas)
Encyclopedia
State Highway 12 is an east–west state highway that runs from I-10 in Vidor
to Deweyville
on the Texas-Louisiana
boundary in east Texas. The route was designated in 1959 as a renumbering of SH 235 to smooth the travel transition with Louisiana Highway 12
, with which it connects.
.
Memorial Highway.'
In 1917 the route followed present day Interstate 10 eastward from El Paso
to roughly Esperanza
. From there the road was proposed to go to Presidio
(not built) and followed FM 170
from there to near Lajitas
. It was proposed from there to hug the Rio Grande through Big Bend and towards Langtry
(again, never built) where it would have met up with present day U.S. Highway 90. On US 90, the road would have gone into Del Rio
and, via present day US 277, into Eagle Pass and though to Paso de Francia via present day FM 1021 and FM 1472
to Laredo
. The Paso de Francia to Laredo segment was again, at the time never built. From Laredo to Pharr
the road would have followed present day U.S. Highway 83. At Pharr, a spur of SH 12 would have continued east on US 83 to Brownsville
. The main road went north on from Pharr on U.S. Highway 281 to Falfurrias then East on SH 285 into Riviera
and north on U.S. Highway 77 towards Victoria
, through to Houston on U.S. Highway 59 and finally US 90 to Orange
.
Unfortunately many of the roads in West and South Texas did not exist as planned (and still don't), and the technology available in 1919 wasn't up to the task of building so many miles of non-existent roadway quickly and efficiently. This led to SH 12 being rerouted many times, each time trying to keep it as a border-to-border highway, hugging the southern borderline.
In 1919 the segment from El Paso, to near Lobo
was rerouted to instead go to a proposed New Mexico crossing, due south into Van Horn, via SH 54
and continued to near Valentine, Texas
over US 90. From there, the road again was proposed to go around Big Bend, meeting up again with current US 90 in Sanderson
, meeting up with its old alignment in Langtry. In the east, the segment between Sinton and Refugio
had yet to be built, so SH 12 was rerouted into Corpus Christi via present day Interstate 37, U.S. Highway 181 and SH 35
into Rockport, Texas
. The road then doublebacked, via SH 188 and FM 136 to Bayside
. From here, another proposed road would have met back with US 77 into Victoria. SH 12 then terminated far short of Orange in Rosenberg
. Much like other highways at the time, multiple alternate routings have been created using the same number, and SH 12 was no exception. SH 12A ran via present day SH 60
from Wharton
to Matagorda
.
In 1922 most of the western Texas designations had still not been constructed, and in some cases were not even feasible. A major rerouting using already existing roads in the area took place. The New Mexico border crossing was rerouted to the current U.S. Highway 180 crossing. The Rio Grande hugging Big Bend segment was completely abandoned, with SH 12 now using the current US 90 highway from Valentine to Alpine to Sanderson. The road from Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo to Pharr was still proposed, and sections had been built west of Pharr. However, not sure if that road would be built either, a cut-off SH 12A was built from Laredo to Hebbronville
which would eventually become SH 359 and SH 44
into Robstown
where it met up with the original SH 12. The Aransas Pass to Victoria segment had still not been built as well, and a SH 12B was constructed to bypass this area if it could not be built. From Victoria, SH 12B ran through US 59 to Beeville, Texas
, and in the east from Eagle Pass to Pearsall, Texas
via U.S. Highway 57. The rest of the cut off was only proposed through Oakville
, Tilden
, and Gardendale
. The Matagorda-Wharton segment was renamed SH 12C.
In 1926, U.S. Highway 62, US 90, US 83, US 96 and US 77 were overlaid on most of SH 12, but by 1926 SH 12 had lost much of its assignment, being mostly confined to south and southeast Texas. The Eagle Pass-Laredo and Refugio-Rockport segments had never been built. SH 12C was handed over to the new SH 60
. SH 12 at this time followed the routing from Brownsville via Pharr to Alice. From Alice, SH 12 followed SH 359 to Skidmore, US 181 to Beeville, and US 59 to Rosenberg.
In 1928, SH 12B between Cotulla and Oakville was handed over to the new SH 127
.
By 1933, SH 12 was rerouted over SH 12A from Laredo to Alice, the old route being transferred to SH 66
and SH 48
. The portion of SH 12A from Alice to Robstown became an extension of SH 128
.
By 1939 the original route was cancelled completely, its mileage taken over by US highways.
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...
to Deweyville
Deweyville, Texas
Deweyville is a census-designated place in Newton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Deweyville is located at ....
on the Texas-Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
boundary in east Texas. The route was designated in 1959 as a renumbering of SH 235 to smooth the travel transition with Louisiana Highway 12
Louisiana Highway 12
Louisiana Highway 12 is a state highway that serves Calcasieu Parish and Beauregard Parish in southwestern Louisiana. It spans from its western terminus at the Texas state line to its eastern terminus at an interchange with U.S. Route 171 and U.S...
, with which it connects.
Route Description
SH 12 begins at an intersection with I-10 and US 90 on the north side of Vidor, and travels to the northeast. It travels through lightly populated country before reaching the Sabine River at Deweyville. The route continues into Louisiana as Louisiana Highway 12Louisiana Highway 12
Louisiana Highway 12 is a state highway that serves Calcasieu Parish and Beauregard Parish in southwestern Louisiana. It spans from its western terminus at the Texas state line to its eastern terminus at an interchange with U.S. Route 171 and U.S...
.
History
SH 12 was one of the original twenty six state highways proposed in 1917. It was an ambitious undertaking to construct a border-to-border highway hugging the southern Texas coast and border with Mexico, and was to be named the 'Jefferson DavisJefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
Memorial Highway.'
In 1917 the route followed present day Interstate 10 eastward from El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
to roughly Esperanza
Esperanza, Hudspeth County, Texas
Esperanza is an unincorporated community in Hudspeth County, Texas, United States. Esperanza is located on Farm to Market Road 192 west of Sierra Blanca.-History:...
. From there the road was proposed to go to Presidio
Presidio, Texas
Presidio is a city in Presidio County, Texas, United States. It stands on the Rio Grande , on the opposite side of the U.S.-Mexico border from Ojinaga, Chihuahua. The population was 4,167 at the 2000 census....
(not built) and followed FM 170
Farm to Market Road 170
Farm to Market Road 170, Farm Road 170, or FM 170 is a highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation in Presidio and Brewster counties in Texas. The route, known locally as the River Road, runs along the United States side of the Rio Grande which in Texas forms the international...
from there to near Lajitas
Lajitas, Texas
Lajitas is an unincorporated community in Brewster County, Texas, United States, in proximity to the Big Bend National Park.-Government:For many years the mayor of Lajitas was Clay Henry III, a "beer-drinking" goat...
. It was proposed from there to hug the Rio Grande through Big Bend and towards Langtry
Langtry, Texas
Langtry is an unincorporated community in Val Verde County, Texas, United States. The community is notable as the place where "Judge" Roy Bean, the "Law West of the Pecos", had his saloon and practiced a kind of law.-History:...
(again, never built) where it would have met up with present day U.S. Highway 90. On US 90, the road would have gone into Del Rio
Del Rio, Texas
Del Rio is a border city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, United States.. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge...
and, via present day US 277, into Eagle Pass and though to Paso de Francia via present day FM 1021 and FM 1472
Farm to Market Road 1472
Farm to Market Road 1472 is a farm-to-market road that connects the Laredo, Texas Industrial Area to the Colombia – Solidarity International Bridge, then running roughly parallel to the Rio Grande into rural Webb County...
to Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
. The Paso de Francia to Laredo segment was again, at the time never built. From Laredo to Pharr
Pharr, Texas
Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas...
the road would have followed present day U.S. Highway 83. At Pharr, a spur of SH 12 would have continued east on US 83 to Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
. The main road went north on from Pharr on U.S. Highway 281 to Falfurrias then East on SH 285 into Riviera
Riviera, Texas
Riviera is an unincorporated community in Kleberg County, Texas, United States.Riviera is located about south of Kingsville on U.S. Highway 77 and about northeast of Falfurrias on Texas State Highway 285.-History:...
and north on U.S. Highway 77 towards Victoria
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, through to Houston on U.S. Highway 59 and finally US 90 to 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...
.
Unfortunately many of the roads in West and South Texas did not exist as planned (and still don't), and the technology available in 1919 wasn't up to the task of building so many miles of non-existent roadway quickly and efficiently. This led to SH 12 being rerouted many times, each time trying to keep it as a border-to-border highway, hugging the southern borderline.
In 1919 the segment from El Paso, to near Lobo
Lobo, Texas
Lobo is a ghost town in Culberson County, Texas, United States that was abandoned in 1991.-Geography:Lobo is located at between the Van Horn Mountains and Wylie Mountains. It is situated along U.S...
was rerouted to instead go to a proposed New Mexico crossing, due south into Van Horn, via SH 54
State Highway 54 (Texas)
State Highway 54 or SH 54 is a highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation that runs from Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 in Van Horn north to US 62 and US 180 between Salt Flat and Pine Springs near Guadalupe Mountains National Park...
and continued to near Valentine, Texas
Valentine, Texas
Valentine is a town in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The population was 187 at the 2000 census. It is the only incorporated municipality in Jeff Davis County....
over US 90. From there, the road again was proposed to go around Big Bend, meeting up again with current US 90 in Sanderson
Sanderson, Texas
Sanderson is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Terrell County, Texas, United States. The population was 861 at the 2000 census. Sanderson was created in 1882 as a part of neighboring Pecos County...
, meeting up with its old alignment in Langtry. In the east, the segment between Sinton and Refugio
Refugio, Texas
Refugio is a town in Refugio County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,941 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Refugio County. Although the town's name is derived from Spanish, a vast majority of the town's residents pronounce it re-fury-oh. The Spanish pronunciation is...
had yet to be built, so SH 12 was rerouted into Corpus Christi via present day Interstate 37, U.S. Highway 181 and SH 35
State Highway 35 (Texas)
State Highway 35, or SH 35, is a largely north–south highway in southeastern and southern Texas between Houston, junction of I-45 on the southeast side of the city and Corpus Christi, where it terminates on I-37....
into Rockport, Texas
Rockport, Texas
Rockport is a city in Aransas County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,385 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Aransas County. The coastal community has approximately 8000 citizens. Large windswept live oaks are a dominating feature of the area and the state's oldest live oak,...
. The road then doublebacked, via SH 188 and FM 136 to Bayside
Bayside, Texas
Bayside is a town in Refugio County, Texas, United States. The population was 360 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bayside is located at ....
. From here, another proposed road would have met back with US 77 into Victoria. SH 12 then terminated far short of Orange in Rosenberg
Rosenberg, Texas
Rosenberg is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Fort Bend County and is part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 31,676 at the 2010 census...
. Much like other highways at the time, multiple alternate routings have been created using the same number, and SH 12 was no exception. SH 12A ran via present day SH 60
State Highway 60 (Texas)
State Highway 60 or SH 60 is a state route running from Wallis to Matagorda, Texas. The route was designated by 1926 along the route previously numbered SH 12A from Wharton to Matagorda, and by 1938 had been extended north to Wallis....
from Wharton
Wharton, Texas
Wharton is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,237 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wharton County and is located on the Colorado River of Texas just south of U.S...
to Matagorda
Matagorda, Texas
Matagorda is an unincorporated community in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. It had a population of approximately 710 in 2000. Matagorda is at the end of State Highway 60 and beginning of Farm to Market Road 2031, which runs over the Intracoastal Waterway and south to the Gulf of Mexico...
.
In 1922 most of the western Texas designations had still not been constructed, and in some cases were not even feasible. A major rerouting using already existing roads in the area took place. The New Mexico border crossing was rerouted to the current U.S. Highway 180 crossing. The Rio Grande hugging Big Bend segment was completely abandoned, with SH 12 now using the current US 90 highway from Valentine to Alpine to Sanderson. The road from Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo to Pharr was still proposed, and sections had been built west of Pharr. However, not sure if that road would be built either, a cut-off SH 12A was built from Laredo to Hebbronville
Hebbronville, Texas
Hebbronville is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Jim Hogg County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,558 at the 2010 census...
which would eventually become SH 359 and SH 44
State Highway 44 (Texas)
State Highway 44 is a Texas state highway that runs from west of Encinal to Corpus Christi, Texas. This highway is also known as the Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway outside the city limits of Robstown, Banquete, Agua Dulce, Alice and Corpus Christi in Nueces and Jim Hogg Counties.-History: SH 44 was...
into Robstown
Robstown, Texas
Robstown is a city in Nueces County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Corpus Christi. It was founded about 1906, and was named for Robert Driscoll Jr., a landowner...
where it met up with the original SH 12. The Aransas Pass to Victoria segment had still not been built as well, and a SH 12B was constructed to bypass this area if it could not be built. From Victoria, SH 12B ran through US 59 to Beeville, Texas
Beeville, Texas
Beeville is a city in Bee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,129 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bee County...
, and in the east from Eagle Pass to Pearsall, Texas
Pearsall, Texas
Pearsall is a city in and the county seat of Frio County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,001 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pearsall is located at ....
via U.S. Highway 57. The rest of the cut off was only proposed through Oakville
Oakville, Texas
Oakville is an unincorporated community in northeastern Live Oak County, Texas, United States. It lies along Interstate 37 northeast of the city of George West, the county seat of Live Oak County. Its elevation is 171 feet...
, Tilden
Tilden, Texas
Tilden is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of McMullen County, Texas, United States.Tilden lies at the intersection of State Highways 16 and 72 in the north central part of the county. It is located roughly an hour south of San Antonio....
, and Gardendale
Gardendale, Texas
Gardendale is a census-designated place in Ector County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Gardendale is located at ....
. The Matagorda-Wharton segment was renamed SH 12C.
In 1926, U.S. Highway 62, US 90, US 83, US 96 and US 77 were overlaid on most of SH 12, but by 1926 SH 12 had lost much of its assignment, being mostly confined to south and southeast Texas. The Eagle Pass-Laredo and Refugio-Rockport segments had never been built. SH 12C was handed over to the new SH 60
State Highway 60 (Texas)
State Highway 60 or SH 60 is a state route running from Wallis to Matagorda, Texas. The route was designated by 1926 along the route previously numbered SH 12A from Wharton to Matagorda, and by 1938 had been extended north to Wallis....
. SH 12 at this time followed the routing from Brownsville via Pharr to Alice. From Alice, SH 12 followed SH 359 to Skidmore, US 181 to Beeville, and US 59 to Rosenberg.
In 1928, SH 12B between Cotulla and Oakville was handed over to the new SH 127
State Highway 127 (Texas)
State Highway 127 is a state highway in Uvalde County in the U.S. state of Texas that connects Sabinal and Concan in south Texas.-Route description:...
.
By 1933, SH 12 was rerouted over SH 12A from Laredo to Alice, the old route being transferred to SH 66
State Highway 66 (Texas)
State Highway 66 or SH 66 is a state highway running from Garland to Greenville, roughly parallel to Interstate 30.-History:SH 66 was previously designated first in 1926 as a route from Bogata northeast through Clarksville toward the Oklahoma town of Idabel...
and SH 48
State Highway 48 (Texas)
State Highway 48 or SH 48 runs from Brownsville to Port Isabel in Deep South Texas.-Route description:SH 48 begins at an intersection with Business Route 77 and the southern terminus of U.S. Route 281 on the west side of Brownsville. the road travels east through Brownsville on Boca Chica...
. The portion of SH 12A from Alice to Robstown became an extension of SH 128
State Highway 128 (Texas)
State Highway 128 is a state highway in Andrews County, Texas.-Route description:SH 128 begins at the New Mexico state line east of Jal, New Mexico, as New Mexico Highway 128 crosses into Texas. The route immediately encounters its only intersection between its termini, at , which runs just inside...
.
By 1939 the original route was cancelled completely, its mileage taken over by US highways.
Junction list
| County | Location | Mile | Junction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Orange County, Texas Orange County is one of 254 counties of the State of Texas and its county seat is the city of Orange, Texas. In the year 2000, the population of Orange County was about 85,000. Orange County is the county in the very southeastern corner of Texas, with a boundary with Louisiana and a seacoast on the... |
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... |
0.0 | Western terminus. | |
| Mauriceville Mauriceville, Texas Mauriceville is a census-designated place in Orange County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,743 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
||||
| Newton Newton County, Texas Newton County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. In of 2000, its population was 15,072. Its county seat is Newton. Newton county is named for John Newton, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War... |
Deweyville Deweyville, Texas Deweyville is a census-designated place in Newton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Deweyville is located at .... |
|||
| 19.6 | Continuation into Louisiana. |