Crusader3—9
The "'omen Join the Hanks
At the Ken Orleans convention in 192J the women, under leadership largely of Louisiana and Mississippi, met in special sessions and laid down plans for a department of beautification and asked the San Antonio women to organize the work. In the ensuing ye-rs the3e women crusaders traveled the now rapidly opening highway from Florida to California. This was the first orderly effort to promote roadside beauty in the united States. Like all pioneering efforts, this called for courage, vision and enthusiasms. The thought spread.
Many national organizations made roadside beauty and billboard removal active parts of their programs. "’he files show that in 1924 these women made a complete survey of State laws on th&se subjects, and found vary but a few and sinole enactments. They had a standard form of law drawn and distributed it throughout the United States--t'ne principles of that law are now being adopted in many States. Old Spanish Trail women are still working, locally, but a great deal still depends upon billboard control and upon plans for widening rights-of-way in '-.any sections. Baldwin County, Alabama, ha3 installed historical signing and has planted tEEsa miles of trees. The 'Mississippi Coast is working to a carefully formulated five-year landocape plan. The 21 Paso Valley now has miles of trees through that irrigated country. Independent groups are now planning an avenue of trees from the Alamo, Shrine of Texas Liberty, at San Antonio, to the San Jacinto Battlefield, ea3t of Houston, where Santa Ana and Mexico were
finally defeated and Texas Independence won-----a distance of two hundred and fifty
miles .
Dedicating the Highway to all Travelers
In 1929 two motorcades crossed the continent, traveling on fast schedules like a railroad train, and thus were the achievements of the bui ldere proclaimed to the world. The first motorcade was from San Diego, California to Saint Augustine, Florida, Mareh-April 1929- The second motorcade returned the visit, from Saint Augustine to San Diego and Loa Angeles, October 1929• The San Diego civic organizations backed by the San Antonio leaders, led the first crusading company. Reaching Saint Augustine, they participated in the dedication of the monument there and the three days of old Spanish pageantry that symbolized
the achievements of the crusaders----those of Old Spain and those of this present-
day race. The King of Spain was represented at that celebration.
The return motorcade was organized and led by Pensacola. At San Diego and Ios Angelasj old Spanish cities of California, the triumphs of this old Spanish Trail work were celebrated. Emotions engendered by long associations and hard struggles tempered the closing meetings. djThe work of the crusaders was findihed....the work of others to tell the story of the Spanish centuries in these Spanish Borderlands was at hand!
Varied and Unusual Country
Today, nearly all the highway from Florida to California is paved....this program ia far ahead of expectations. The country is fascinatingly strange, varied and interesting. North Florida is a land of winter estates, winter products and general farming, rolling hills and waterways. Kiom Pensacola to Hew Orleans are satsuma orange and pecan orchards and winter truck, and the Gulf Coast resorts facing that ancient Spanish sea. Louisiana; red gold in winter strawberries and the "Sugar Bowl of the Nation" and rice, cotton, salt mines and flsheles, SaabsJmoffMdtixaxaiaiajtxxtaaxxdaia-yxaffxxpaaita^anij gansxaixfsKming '‘'—bayous and endlo3a miles of inland waterways. East Texas; oil empire, rice, dairying, EKfcziaxsint poultry, cattle, general farming, rolling hills and rising country. West Texas; Hill Country resorts and princely