The Old Spanish Trail (the OST) was an

auto trail The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on utility poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in t ...

that once spanned the United States with almost of roadway from ocean to ocean. It crossed eight states and 67 counties along the southern border of the United States. Work on the auto highway began in 1915 at a meeting held at the Battle House Hotel in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

; and, by the 1920s, the trail linked

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Jacksonville, the city is on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spani ...

, to

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, with its center and headquarters in

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

. The work at San Antonio, and indeed nationally, was overseen by an executive committee consisting of prominent San Antonio businessmen which met at the Gunter Hotel weekly. Promoters of the Old Spanish Trail claimed that it followed the route used by "Spanish Conquistadors" 400 years earlier, but there was no continuous trail from Florida to California in Spanish times.

Future

A decade-long centennial celebration was planned to begin in 2019 and end with a 2029 motorcade from St. Augustine to San Diego. The volunteer Old Spanish Trail Centennial Celebration Association (OST100) is collecting oral histories, travel logs and news articles related to the Old Spanish Trail to conserve the roadways, businesses and historic sites of the original auto highway. The current work of revitalization, historic preservation, public/private partnerships, restoration, and road enhancements, follows the example of the original promoters of the Old Spanish Trail, who involved diverse business and private interests in building and beautifying the original roadway.

Route description

The Old Spanish Trail largely follows what became, in 1927,

U.S. Highway 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. It generally travels near Int ...

east of San Antonio and U.S. Highway 80 west of the site of the Interstate 10/ Interstate 20 interchange in Reeves County. Between those points, it follows portions of U.S. Highway 87, Texas State Highway 27, and a pre-1991 alignment of U.S. Highway 290. It begins at the Huguenot Cemetery in Saint Augustine and ends at Horton Plaza Park in San Diego.

Florida

The Old Spanish Trail begins at St. Augustine's Mile Marker Zero of the OST, a large stone marker made of

coquina Coquina () is a sedimentary rock that is composed either wholly or almost entirely of the transported, abraded, and mechanically sorted fragments of mollusks, trilobites, brachiopods, or other invertebrates. The term ''coquina'' comes from the S ...

at the Huguenot Cemetery off of San Marcos Avenue. The marker states "Old Spanish Trail Zero Milestone – St. Augustine Fla to San Diego Calif – Erected and dedicated by the exchange club of St. Augustine – A.D. 1928". From St. Augustine, the trail goes North along San Marcos, US 1's business route, and travels up U.S. Highway 1 to Jacksonville, then turning west, generally follows

. Throughout Northern Florida from Jacksonville, the Old Spanish Trail follows either

or local streets that used to be part of US 90, many of which are designated as State Road 10A. West of

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...

, the OST follows SR-158, SR-154, and Old St. Augustine Road into Tallahassee. The trail enters Tallahassee on Lafayette Street, which once connected directly to Monroe Street but now is cut off by the Apalachee Parkway/ US-27. An older route of the Trail went North along Monroe to Brevard Street, then west along Brevard to Bainbridge Road, following Bainbridge to

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.SR 12 to Quincy where it went left onto Madison Street and then right on Jefferson Street to rejoin US-90. At Sneads, the trail follows SR-10A through town and bears left onto a road signed 'Old Spanish Trl'. The trail heads West along this route to State Road 71 and rejoins US-90. East of Milton, a portion of the OST exists as a red brick road paralleling US 90. Portions of the road are drivable, signed Red Brick Rd. and Old Spanish Trail, heading into a residential area and dead-ending at a tributary to the Blackwater River where it is assumed a bridge once carried traffic into town.

Alabama

The short trip through Alabama's Mobile Bay region closely follows US-90 with a few exceptions. Between Elsanor and Loxley, the trail traveled through Rosinton prior to the establishment of the U.S. Highway System, and continued West along Alabama County Road 64 to

Daphne Daphne (; ; , , ), a figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in which she appears, but t ...

where a ferry once carried traffic into Mobile.

Mississippi

In Mississippi, the OST travels along US-90 until Pass Christian where it turned right to head North on Henderson Ave to De Lisle, then West along Kiln Delisle Road to

Kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or Chemical Changes, chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects m ...

. At Kiln, the OST continued West to the ghost-town of Logtown, Mississippi, although the road connecting those two towns has been partially lost to the Bayou. That route likely consisted of portions of the Bayou La Croix Road, Rifle Range Road, an unmarked road once called the Bay St. Louis Road, which now closely parallels a portion of Mississippi Highway 607, and Mississippi Highway 604, then continued West along Logtown Road into town. In Logtown, a ferry carried traffic across the Pearl River to land at Indian Village in Louisiana.

Louisiana

The Louisiana section of the trail includes the Huey P. Long Bridge and various other historical sites along a path that roughly follows U.S. Route 90 in Louisiana, replacing what had been Louisiana Route 2. Getting off the ferry at Indian Village, The Old Spanish Trail continues along Indian Village Road to what is now U.S. Highway 190 where it comes into

Slidell, Louisiana Slidell is a city on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 28,781 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the sixteenth-most ...

. South of Slidell at North Shore, another ferry once carried autos to Chef Menteur at which point the trail followed Gentilly Road into New Orleans. Today, traffic on the OST follows Louisiana Highway 433 south to US-90 which travels Southwest to connect with Gentilly Road. From Gentilly Boulevard, the trail took a left at Bruxelles Street, now cutoff from Gentilly, and then bears onto North Broad Avenue, takes a left on Canal Street, a right on St. Charles Avenue, and then another left on Walnut Street to the now long-gone Walnut Street Ferry. The Ferry dropped autos off at Westwego, where the trail turned onto River Road, took a left on Seven Oaks Boulevard (formerly Bridge City Avenue), and bore back onto River Road. In Luling, the trail turns left onto Paul Mailard Road and bears right onto to what is now Louisiana Highway 631, still cosigned Old Spanish Trail. Between the US-90 offramp Northeast of Raceland and Lafayette, much of

Louisiana Highway 182 Louisiana Highway 182 (LA 182) is a state highway located in central and southeastern Louisiana. It runs in a northwest to southeast direction from LA 29 in Whiteville to U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) north of Raceland. Along the ...

carries the old trail; portions of that route still retain Old Spanish Trail signage. By the 1930s, the OST had been re-routed to follow US-90 as it existed at the time, including the use of the Huey P. Long Bridge to cross the Mississippi river out of New Orleans.

Texas

In eastern Texas the Old Spanish Trail can still be seen in many places. The trail runs alongside

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

through Orange and Vidor; when the trail reaches the

Neches River The Neches River () begins in Van Zandt County west of Rhine Lake and flows for through the piney woods of east Texas, defining the boundaries of 14 counties on its way to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs ...

, 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 west from there to

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

. The trail enters

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

on Navigation and turns down Main Street, exiting the city as U.S. Route 90 Alternate. On the way, it passes

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

, and the

Astrodome The NRG Astrodome, formerly and also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, was the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, United States. It seated around 50,000 fans, with a record atte ...

. "Old Spanish Trail" is the official name for the street that follows the route from

Interstate 45 Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. While most primary Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, ...

south of downtown Houston until it merges with South Main Street in the

Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a List of neighborhoods in Houston, neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States. It is immediately south of the Houston Museum District, Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 6 ...

. At Eagle Lake, the trail heads Northwest along FM102, a pre-1958 alignment of U.S. 90A, where it rejoins present day U.S. 90 in Alleyton. At Waelder, the trail again departs U.S. 90, heading down Texas State Highway 97 into Gonzales and heading along U.S. 90A into Seguin. At Seguin, the OST heads towards San Antonio along a road at various points signed Seguin Road, FM78, San Antonio Street, and John E Peterson Boulevard. In San Antonio, the OST once traveled along Seguin Road directly to New Braunfels Avenue, turning south towards Houston Street, then West along Houston Street into town. Today, a portion of the Seguin Road grade is buried under

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexico–Uni ...

. San Antonio contains several reminders of the Old Spanish Trail's existence. On the grounds of City Hall can be found a Zero Milestone marker dedicated by Governor Pat Neff on March 27, 1924. The OST headquarters once resided within the

Gunter Hotel The Gunter Hotel is a historic hotel in Downtown San Antonio, Texas, United states, built in 1909 and designed by St. Louis architect John Mauran. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. History The Gunter Hotel opened on Novem ...

, now called the Sheraton Gunter Hotel. At the corner of Fredericksburg, which carries the trail out of town westward, and Vance Jackson Road, a marker of the Old Spanish Trail placed by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in 1936 still stands. A few blocks Northwest of the marker lies a park named 'Old Spanish Walking Trails'. The trail continues North along Fredericksburg where it joins U.S. Highway 87 and I-10. At Leon Springs, The Old Spanish Trail departs the highway and travels North along Boerne Stage Road. At the Bexar-Kendall County line, the remains of a stone county line OST marker can be seen on the Eastern side, just north of the bridge over Balcones Creek. An alternate 'Tourist Route' leaves San Antonio along Bandera Road, signed SH-16. Bandera is home to the O.S.T. Restaurant, which has served travelers of the Old Spanish Trail since 1921. Outside Bandera, the trail continues north along SH-173 where it rejoins the main portion of the trail in Kerrville. A portion of the trail remains as a segment of U.S. Route 290 west of Ozona, Texas in Crockett and Pecos Counties. This scenic loop includes the descent of Lancaster Hill, a crossing of the

Pecos River The Pecos River ( ; ) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico, at an elev ...

at an old iron bridge, and passes through the small community of

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

before rejoining Interstate 10. In Sheffield on the northern side of the road near the Avenue E intersection, an old neon sign reads "OST Courts", although the Courts themselves are gone.

New Mexico

The OST continues primarily along the old grade of Historic US 80 in New Mexico from Anthony to Rodeo, leaving the state along New Mexico State Road 80. In 1924, the trail from Las Cruces went to Mesilla and then crossed the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

at the Mesilla Dam along County Road B006. That road once ran directly to Aden, New Mexico, and can still faintly be seen on aerial and satellite maps; it is no longer used or maintained. From Aden, the trail traveled northwest parallel to the Southern Pacific Railroad through Cambray and then approximately followed what is today New Mexico State Road 549 to Deming.

Arizona

The OST crosses the state mostly along historic portions of old US 80 signed Arizona State Route 80, entering Arizona southwest of Rodeo and exiting the state by crossing the Colorado River north of Yuma. One exception to the US-80 route is at Ligurta, where the OST followed the Butterfield Stage Route up to

Dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

, then South down US-95 to reconnect with the US-80 route.

California

Driving West, the old road continues to follow US 80 to Boulevard and then diverts onto Campo Road, cosigned

California State Route 94 State Route 94 (SR 94) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that is long. The western portion, known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, begins at Interstate 5 (California), Interstate 5 (I-5) in downtown San Diego and co ...

. In Spring Valley, the trail diverges from 94 and continues along Campo Road to Lemon Grove, where it turns left and travels down Lemon Grove Avenue, which becomes Imperial Avenue into San Diego. By 1931 the Old Spanish Trail had been re-routed to travel along US 80, west of Boulevard, paralleling I-8 as Old Highway 80, which becomes El Cajon Blvd further west. In San Diego, the trail turns left at Park Blvd and heads downtown. The Western terminus of the Old Spanish Trail can be found at Horton Plaza Park in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

on Broadway and 4th. Here, a marble column called the Pacific Milestone once marked the end of the trail. It read, "Pacific Milestone dedicated by our beloved President Calvin Coolidge Nov 17, 1923". In addition to the OST, the Pacific Milestone also marked the end of the

Lee Highway The Lee Highway was a United States auto trail initially connecting from an eastern zero mile marker on the Ellipse in Washington DC to a western zero marker, the Pacific Milestone, in the center of San Diego, California — via the Ame ...

, named for Confederate General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

, a highway that connected San Diego to New York City. Due to its association with Lee and public unrest across the United States regarding monuments bearing the names of individuals associated with the Confederacy, the milestone was removed by the San Diego Department of Parks & Recreation on June 12th, 2020.

References

External links

Old Spanish Trail centennial website

– americanroads.us
Archives of the Old Spanish Trail Association
{{Authority control Auto trails in the United States Historic trails and roads in California Historic trails and roads in Arizona Historic trails and roads in New Mexico Historic trails and roads in Texas Historic trails and roads in Louisiana Historic trails and roads in Mississippi Historic trails and roads in Alabama Historic trails and roads in Florida