FLORIDA—439 MILES
Florida is paving the whole mileage and replacing the old bridges. All waterways	”Zers
are now bridged; no ferries. The roadbed is federal standard construction with paved or sand-clay surface. Detours where paving is in progress are well maintained. Curves are protected by fencing, rieavy rains may interrupt travel in some sand-clay sections but the rule is good traveling
Florida section, will be $19,700,000. The country is rolling with elevations up to 300 It. i ne <jUH is neai, the bays and shores very inviting.
St. Augustine (1565) is the Atlantic terminus of the Spanish Trail; it is ancient Spanish and the oldest city in the United States. Pensacola is ancient Spanish.
ALABAMA—77 MILES
Toll bridge, 50c, Florida-Alabama line. Construction of new bridge in progress.
Baldwin County (Florida line to Daphne on Mobile Bay) 33 mi., unimproved with improvements now commencing.
Mobile Bay ferry on OST line, 14 mi. between Daphne and Mobile, 4 trips daily each way, rates $3.50 to $6.00. Fairhope boat (not OST) 3 trips each way daily. Cochrane bridge across Mobile Bay will be completed April 1927. This is the longest highway bridge in the world, 10% mi., and a tribute to the Mobile people who financed it. Toll will be $1.00 until cost is liquidated, then the bridge will be free. Cost about $2,500,000.
Mobile to Mississippi line, federal standard concrete paving in progress. Detours over good sand-clay roads. The total cost across Alabama will exceed $4,000,000. Country is rolling and is developing winter produce districts.
Mobile (1702) settled by the French, followed by Spanish periods.
MISSISSIPPI—90 MILES
All good driving—federal standard paving and gravel.
Continuous ferry day and night at Pascagoula, 50c—new bridge by fall 1927. Paving construction between Ocean Springs and Biloxi—detour two to three miles. Sea-wall and boulevard construction along the Gulf between Biloxi and Pass Christian but no serious interference with travel. Bridge construction, 2 mi., over the Bay of St. Louis between Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis. Ferry on hourly schedule until midnight, 75c.
Cost across Mississippi, including the protecting sea-wall, $6,000,000. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is developing a great resort center with large hotels, fine homes and superior waterside realty development.
First settlement of Old Louisiana at Biloxi (1699), followed by Spanish periods.
LOUISIANA—344 MILES
Gravel prevails, well maintained; some paving, no dirt road. A half of the mileage is federal standard roadbed; on other sections watch for bad curves and railroad crossings.
Bridges at Pearl River near Mississippi State line completed November 1926. Ferries east of New Orleans at Rigolets, 75c, and Chef Menteur, 50c, essentially continuous night and day. Continuous ferry across Mississippi River, 20c to 40c. Continuous ferry at Morgan City, 35c. Ferry hourly at Sabine River
between Louisiana and Texas, 3 mi., 75c to $1.00 until 11 p. m. Louisiana side; 12 p. m. Texas side long
bridge under construction to be completed September 1927.
The drive across Louisiana embraces the Mississippi River basin, the storied bayous waterways and noted sugar plantations, the Evangeline Country and in the western section, one of the large rice growing areas of the United States. 2000 mi. of navigable in'and waterways in the Louisiana OST territory with rare fishing, hunting and yachting.
New Orleans (1718) French settled with long Spanish periods.
Please Write Us.
This Bulletin is planned to give simple but clear guidance to people inquiring about or traveling the Old Spanish Trail. Other publications carry more detailed information; this bulletin must be sufficiently inexpensive and brief to permit of- wide distribution yet give worth-while information. Letters with helpful criticism or suggestion will be appreciated.
Harral Ayres, Managing Director, San Antonio, Texas.
TEXAS—929 MILES
Federal standard paving and gravel except as follows. In East Texas a $7,000,000 concrete road and bridge program has been in progress for four years. In stormy periods travel has been blocked; no alternate road was possible. Essential bridges and paving now nearly completed. At present possible trouble in very wet weather is reduced to a few miles. In West Texas are several dirt sections, usually very good for rains there are rare and travel interruptions are brief while in dry periods these roads are the finest kind of driving.
No ferries in Texas; all rivers bridged. Fast, comfortable driving prevails. Oil and cotton are rapidly developing East Texas. Small farms between Houston and San Antonio. San Antonio to El Paso embraces the Hill Country with elevations 1000 to 4500 ft., the Davis Mountains with peaks up to 8000 ft. A vast cattle, goat and sheep ranch country.
Nuevo Laredo, Piedras Negras and Villa Acuna, Mexico, 150 mi. to 160 mi. from San Antonio. Juarez, Mexico, opposite El Paso. Both east and north of El Paso the highway is near the Rio Grande.
San Antonio (1718) and El Paso (1659) anciently Spanish.
NEW MEXICO—195 MILES
All federal standard gravel, well maintained except 37 mi. west from Mesilla Park across the desert where fair driving prevails when dry; bad when wet—dry weather prevails. New road for this section planned and partly under construction. The New Mexico road is good but distances are great with considerable desert country. No ferries.
New Mexico, old Spanish. Santa Fe (1605) second oldest city in the United States. Rio Grande Valley, El Paso to Santa Fe, anciently settled and Spanish.
ARIZONA—507 MILES
All federal standard gravel and paving, smooth, well maintained. No ferries. Gillespie Dam between Buckeye and Gila Bend a water crossing, bad when high—dry weather prevails. When necessary the State keeps teams and guards there. Bridge under construction to be completed 1927.
Country varies from desert to mountains, high, rolling and interesting, with Salt River and other irrigated districts of national renown. Highest OST elevation 6030 ft. at Bisbee with easy grades; never closed by winter snows.
Agua Prieta, Mexico, at Douglas. Tucson (about 1700) old Spanish.
CALIFORNIA—178 MILES
Federal standard gravel and paving, smooth and well maintained. No ferries. The old plank road across the sand hills west of Yuma now past history; standard asphaltic concrete road now. The Mountain Springs grade over the mountains is being paved with concrete—detours carefully maintained. Imperial Valley irrigated district at Holtville and El Centro. Mexican line, Calexico and Mexicali, Holtville or El Centro.
San Diego (1769) the Pacific terminus, old Spanish, first settlement in California.
FERRIES AND TOLLS
Nunez toll bridge, Florida-Alabama line, Perdido River, 50c, night and day.
Mobile Bay, $3.50 to $6.00. Four trips daily on OST line; 3 trips daily on Fairhope line. April 1927 new bridge will be open with toll of $1.00 until bridge cost is paid.
Pascagoula River, Miss., 50c. Continuous ferry day and night. New bridge by fall 1927.
Bay of St. Louis, Miss., 75c. Ferry on hourly schedule until midnight. Bridge to be completed fall 1927.
Rigolets and Chef Menteur, east of New Orleans, 75c and 50c, essentially continuous night and day.
Mississippi River, New Orleans, 20c to 40c. Continuous night and day.
Berwick Bay at Morgan City, La., 35c. Continuous night and day.
Sabine River, Louisiana-Texas line, 75c to $1.00. Hourly schedule until 11 p. m. Louisiana side; 12 p. m. Texas side.
Make special inquiry for late night schedules.