louisiana-texas state line
Sabine River.
The new bridge 3 mi. long was completed November, 1907 Tile cost ?1,000,000, was shared by the Orange and the Lake diaries districts, the states of Louisiana and Texas and Federal Aid funds. Many years spent strug-alinc with the financial difficulties; then when the contractors began, floods and marshes, alligators and pests, sink holes and discouragements, had to be conquered. But this is the storv of most of the Old Spanish Trail construction costs that'were an acid test of faith, engineering that knew no defeat, builders equal to every demand.
TEXAS—931 MILES EAST TEXAS
Orange to San Antonio, 320 miles
Road Conditions
Enst Texas will be nearly nil paved by summer of 1029.
Description of Country East Texas is one of the richest sections on the Old Spanish
...................-----	-v	developing	industrial and
financial leadership nnd_ growing fnst Houston a.hip c=.
Trail. Beaumont and Houston
ivith Galveston nt the entrance, carries exports of 17 railroads.
In the Sabine District arc the Ports of Beaumont and Orange, Port. Arthur and Port Ncehcs, serving southeast Texas and contiguous stntes nnd themselves harboring big Industrial plants nnd expanding rapidly.
This Sabine District is one of the big oil producing, refining, manufacturing, distributing and exporting centers of the II. S. Beaumont Is also the commercial center of a rich agricultural and lumber region. Farm products of largo acreago are sugnr cane, figs, corn, cotton, pennuts, rice, satsuma oranges, truck, goats, sheep, cattle and poultry.
Tcxns is large. One-third of the Old Spanish Trail is in Texas. Travelers, seeing so much unsettled country, get mistaken ideas. Texas lias proven its agricultural fertility, yet Its vast area is developed only in spots. In South and East Textw these areas offer unusual opportunities to the liomeseeker and homeseckcrs are coming In large numbers. Hydro-electric power lines, oil pipe lines nnd naturnl gas lines total tens of t*10®" Hands of miles nnd new lines being continually constructed. New hotels along the Old Spanish Trnll just built or now build-. ing total over $30,000,000 In Texas alone.
West of Houston, to San Antonio, the roiling hills begin. This country is closely farmed, fertile, prosperous and pretty. The drinking water generally is good.
Old History
The battlefield of San Jacinto is east of Houston. There Gen. Sam Houston and Ills band of Texas patriots destroyed the army of Santa Ana and won Texas freedom from Mexico, April 21, 1836. The first attempt to disarm the patriots was at Gonzales, now known ns the “JLexIngton of Texas,” October 2, 1835. Then enme the fall of the Alamo, March C, 183G. and tho pursuit of .Sam Houston’s little army by Santa Ana across Texas to the banks of the San Jacinto River where the rugged Texans swept thru the Mexicans and won tills land for Amen-'
*0RANGE. Deep-water port and municipal (locks. Large lumber interests of the Sabine River. Creosoting, pine paper pulp, and iron works. Important oil fields near. NEW HOLLAND HOTEL, good. Inf.—Chamber of Commerce.
NECHES RIVER. Long bridge and approaches involved many construction problems.
*BEAUi\IONT. Deep-water port and industrial city, center of a dozen oil fields, big refineries, shipyards, steel and tank car and other manufacturing; commercial center of the vast East Texas truck, fruit and farming areas and of the Louisinna-Texas rice growing region, the largest in the world. Living conditions are reflected by the fact Beaumont shows the lowest death rate of any city in Texas. Beaumont and the Sabine district have grown with the

automobile; the cars and people of a million roads are moving by the mysterious power generated here. Spindle Top, in sight of Beaumont’s skyscrapers, was the first and most famous gusher field in America; it produced 50,000,-000 bhls. and was thought exhausted. Then the Yount-Lee Company in 1025 brought in a 5,000 bhl. well on lower levels and Beaumont lived anew the excitement of the pioneer days. 100,000,000 bhls. are claimed as Spindle Top’s record. Networks of pipes lie under this land. Thousands of producing wells feed the refineries—from Spindle Top’s prodigal flow and from the countless fields of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana. At Beaumont is the Magnolia refinery and near are other Magnolia plants. At Port Arthur, 22 mi. southeast of Beaumont is the Gulf refinery embracing 3,GOO A.—largest in Texas, and also the chief refinery of the Texas Company, and at Texas Island is the big plant where the cans are made and the Texaco products manufactured and shipped; at Port Neelies their asphalt plant. The Pure Oil Co., Humble, Atlantic, Yount-Lee, Prairie and others add to the net work of oil industries in this district. An annual payroll of $50,000,000 is claimed from the oil companies. The automobile was a toy when oil was discovered. Gasoline had no market and was dumped into the sea. Today the products from this district go out to the world over the seven seas. Today the automobile is king and the Sabine district is the king’s market place.
HOTELS—HOTEL BEAUMONT is modern, well equipped and popular with all classes. LA SALLE HOTEL is new, well equipped and well lilted. CROSBY HOTEL (J. A. Sparkman) is one of the older houses but well kept; 73 rms. have private bath; running water in others, fans, phones, cafe, storage yard. $1.00 up without bath; $2.00 up with bath.
CAMPS—BEAUMONT TOURIST PARK, 3038 Magnolia Avc., nice locality, well equipped, city natatorium near. Cabins $1.25 daily; $6.00 weekly. Camp space 50c.
MCDONALD’S and BURGE’S storage anil service garages near the hotels; both well liked.
INF.—Automobile Association (AAA) at Hotel Beaumont.
’•'LIBERTY. One of the old settlements of Texas and center of fertile farming country. Several big oil fields. Rice, cotton and cattle. The CENTRAL, a dean country hotel, fills early Inf. and service Jackson’s Filling Sta. opp. flic railroad station; also his tourist camp one-half mile east, bolli on the OST. Camp grounds arc free. Cabins are 75c. New and clean.
TRINITY RIVER. Another of the big flood rivers draining into tlie gulf.
DAYTON. Cotton, rice, cattle and oil fields. Developing into a busy little town. Lodging. Camp space.
CROSBY. Cotton and general farming. Lodging. Free camp, good shade.
SAN JACINTO RIVER. Private camps. Camp sites by the river.
’HOUSTON. Deep-water sea channel; greatest port and one of the important failroad centers of the Southwest; oil and cotton exporting and products manufacturing; one of the rich and fast growing cities of Texas. East 25 mi. is San Jacinto Battlefield where Gen. Sam Houston and the Texas patriots defeated Santa Ana and won Texas freedom in 1S30. Big sulphur mines to the south. Galveston at the gulf. Rice Institute is passed on South Main St., n fine and distinctive college; a drive about the spacious campus will repay.
23