Interesting Cities .Along The
Saint Augustine. 1565 Anciently Spanish
ANCIENT SPANISH GATES AT ST. AUGUSTINE
Tlie Old Spanish Gates at St. Augustine. Around the walls was a moat- filled with water and a hedge of Spanish bayonet plants. A description in 1783 says entrance was by a drawbridge over the moat and thru the gate. The sentry boxes are visible at the gate. Near by is old Fort San MarcoiX, (Ft. Marion now) an interesting example of medieval castle nmlVfort. living
OLDEST HOUSE IN THE UNITED STATES, ST. AUGUSTINE
The Oldest House in the United States from a picture in a booklet of 1888. This is now a part of the property of the St. Augustine Historical Society and houses many ancient relics. " he Society library of old Spanish history is housed in a new structure on the properly. The Oldest House apparently dates from 1571. The Society historical collections are a rare pleasure to the traveler seeking information ol that ancient, perilous and romantic period. In the garden is the “Wishing Well” and there love, the oldest story in the world, still finds romance at the oldest setting in this new country. And when you finish your ovfp *l»o Old Spanish Trail you will find the “Wishing " ell at the old Spanish settlement at San Diego, the mother
colony of California, and there again love mirrored in the waters of the well.
renewals may bc
The Descriptive Log
This Information Is carefully prepared. Hotels, garages, camps and service stations are selected with the purpose to build up good service. Houses that pay their rated subscriptions are printed in black face type; they and the membership make this travelog service possible for you.
Villages and iiainlets are not included, as a rule. They are numerous along the way, so also garages, service stations and camping places. Many hotels fill early. New hotels are being continually built or old ones remodeled. Service Improves all the time, for this is an important travelway.
♦Indicates gouuty seats. Inf., Information Headquarters.
FLORIDA—435 MILES
Road Conditions
All State and Federal standard road and all being rapidly payed. At present most of the pavement is laid.
No ferries. Maintenance is good, detours during paving construction well maintained. The Florida sector is one of the best examples of highway construction on the Old Spanish Trail.
jseaei iimuu ui tUUIlliy
„„TI,U. CKStcrn COUh*5,I section, palmetto plains and pinelands.
i s soon P '®s waj to rolling hills, with live oak mid other Tine trees. Elevations reach 203 ft. at De Funhik Springs. There are rich farming sections, truck raising, pecan and sutsumu orange orchards, shade tobacco, dairying and poultry. The little 11*. arc I\UV«‘L ,mv«	Public	buildings,	homes	and	parks,
old trees shade the streets. Around Tnllnhnssec many northerners maintain large estates. The gulf shores, bays and water-ways are shaded with trees and are very attractive. Across Florida the drinking water is very good. In the western part pinelands again occur and lumbering has been a basie industry. Now homeseekers are flocking in and finding the Florida Old Spanish Trail territory good.
Old History
San Agustln was settled in 1505, the oldest city In the United States. Ponce de Leon discovered and named Florida in 1512.
Tlie De Narvaez expedition landed at Tampa Day in 1528 ami I)e Soto in 1539, and both fought their way around westward in Old Spanisii Trail territory to the Tallahassee country where Do Narvaez turned south to escape by sea and De Soto turned north and wandered thru the south and west. De Soto's body was buried In (lie Mississippi Itiver, De Narvaez was lost In tlie Gulf of Mexico. Cabcza do Vaca, Do Narvuez’ treasurer and three others, were tlie only survivors to reach Mexico and their V story is told under “The El Paso Valley.” Rugged survivors of tlie I)e Soto expedition years later escaped down the Mississippi River and to Mexico.
There are records of 38 missions established out of St. Augustine, westward to Tallahassee and up Into Georgia. They were probably of wood for no ruins are known except some of oyster shell cement north of Brunswick, Ga. De Euna landed at Pensacola Day in 1559 with the largest expedition of them all. but Indian enmity soon drove him back to Vera Cruz. While the Spaniards were exploring the F'loridas other remarkable expeditions were moving northward from Mexico into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Santa Fc became the second oldest city in the U. S., while others lay claim to existence bade in tlie dim past. When the thirteen states were fighting for independence Spnln controlled an empire south and west, nnd was building the California missions. Florida was Spanish until 1821. except for an English period 17(53-1783; Spain sold Old \ Louisiana back to Franco in 1800; France sold to the U. S. In , .\ v 1803; Texas independence was won in 183G and that territory was annexed by tlie U. S. in 1815. The Mexican War was 18IG-17. The New Mcxleo-Arizona-Southern California territory was ceded to the U. S. by Mexico in 1818. The Gadsden Purchase of part of southern New Mexico and Arizona was in 18;>8.
The five great centers of mission nnd colonization effort of the Spaniards arc along the Old Spanish Trail—St. Augustine,
Fla., San Antonio. Tex., El Paso—Santa Fe, Tucson—Nogales, Ariz., San D'r-'o and the California coast. Tlie Old Spanish Trail of today Is t» *n.cud binding together for all time the old Spanish i. history and legend of three nnd four centuries past. In these \ lands the padres sought riches to lay up in heaven nnd the com; uist adores sought Tielies for personal glory and often found disaster for their vain but romantic search. Now a new race is finding riches in the crucibles of industry.

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