w
Two Conturies Spanning the Continent
More than two centuries passed bcforo the first faint trail connected Saint Augustine, Florida with San Diego, California. Spain foundod San Agustin in 1565 and San Diogo do Alcala in 1769---and they wore the beginning of colon-
ization in Florida and in California, a span of 204 yrs. from the settlement on the Atlantic to the settle, ont on the Pacific. During those 204 yrs. many settlements were mado in this southern borderland country and trails gradually developed from ono settlement to another. Tho modern Old Spanish Trail follows, as nearly as a modorn highway can, those primitive pioneer trails.
VI
The Early Settle:,-.cats	>
Tho early settlements along the highway and their dates are San Agustxn,
1565.....Santa Hnrxa do Galvez do Pensacola, 1559 and 1698.... .Saint Louis
do la Mobile, 3.702 and 1711... • .Biloxi, 1699,.... Nouvcllft Orleans, 1716.... New Iboria, 1773.....*3an Antonio do Bexar, 1715 ....Yslota, Socorro and San
Elizario (El Peso Valley) about 1635.........El Paso del Novto (Juarez), 1659....
Santa Fe and other settlements northward, boginning 159S..... Tucson (San Xavior del Bac mission), 1700. San D.’.cgo do Alcala, 1769.
There wore many other settlements in this Old Spanish Trail country and. down in Old Mexico and now accessible by automobile. Missions and colonies were extended out into all fields. Both Franco and Spain pioneered in Old Louisiana.
VII
French and Spontsh Place-Nco.es, Language aid Customs
host of the rivers that aro crossed and many other geographical places carry Spanish names or Spanish rendering of Indian nomos except in Old Louisiana (Mobile, Alabama to Lafayette, Louisiana) whero French names prevail. French language, customs and architecture give eld Louisiana its colorful touches while Spanish language, customs and architecture clotho other sections with charm and intoroot. In tho Old Louisiana soctor French and creole cooking is enjoyed. Along the western sector aro tho Spanish--Mexican restaurants with their tamales, tortillas, chili con carne, enchiladas,, frijoles and other foods. Old Fronch peasantry is still seen in Old Louisiana and old Spanish- Mexican in the Nest.
•V'lTI
Tho Eastern’’Trail
Along the Gulf of iicxico tho settlements ’wore at the Gulf harbors; then overland trails developed to connoct those settlements. By 1718 an eastern trail (camino real in Spanish) connected Saint Augustine, Pensacola, Mobile, Biloxi and New Orleans.
* The date commonly given is 1716. Recent research shows the Son Antonio site was first located in 16D1 and namod San Antonio do Padua. In 170Q the San Pedro Springs wore named. In 1715 familios woro sottlod and in 1716 a mission was located and in 1718 tho mission nov the Alamo and a presidio wero established and tho importance of tho sotti.omont firmly fixod.
M
The Midland Trail
Between New Orleans and San Antonio tho modern highway is built across South Louisiana and South Texas thru New Iboria, Lake Charles, Beaumont and Houston but the old trails wore farthor north.	The Fronch established their
outpost on the Red River in northwest Louisiana, founding Natchitoches in 1714. The Spanish had previously, in 1690, established a mission among the Tcjas (Toxas) Indians west of Natchitoches—but abandoned in 1693. In 1716 this mission and fiV6 .toners wero located there to protect Spanish territorial claims against the French; ono ’.vat within 15 mi. of the French Natchitoches and there in 1721 a prosidio.was also built and that settlement, Los Adaes, is now Robeline, Louisiana. The midland trail therefore developed between New Orleans and San Antonio thru tho French Natchitoches and this Spanish mission group. In Toxas it became tho noted Old San Antonio Road.
X
•	The	Nostern	Trails
In Mexico and tho Nest, Spanish trails (ccmino real--king's highway) progressed northward from iicxico City as missions and settlements wore established.....tho ono thru eastern Mexico and San Antonio to Nacogdoches, Los Adaes
and the other East Texas missions and settlements......another thru Central
Mexico and El Paso dol Norte to the Santa Fc missions and settlements, in.Mew
Mexico.....another thru wostorn Mexico to tho missions and settlements of the
Nogales and Tucson country of southern Arizona. From Tucson country a trail followed the Yuma River down to its junction with the Colorado River at the present Yuma, Arizona, and from there to San Diogo, California, and to tho other California missions and settlements. A wostorn trail dovolopod eastward-westward connecting the settlements from San Antonio to Son Diego.
A Spanish trail developed along the Pacific Coast connocting those twonty-one missions of California^ Others of those primitive highways came into service as settlements spread about; in history, spoctive localities.
.43s.oami.no roal of the rc-
T~~
Sit
Fur Tradin'; and Minpyu/
The French dovolopod tho riches of fur-trading, planting thoir trading posts on tho rivers." Overland trails developed to connect then. Tho Spaniards gathered richer, fro . the nines of Mexico and tho Southwest. They developed tho missions in the 'Keut \s a p -rt of thoir benevolent polioy for uplifting tho natives and reducing tho country. But when Spain tool: possession of Old Louisians, sue fell in stm with French trading works in preference to building mission establishments there.
XJI i-
Pioneer Paths
limy trails dcvolopcd in the present Iouisiana from How Orleans to theso trading posted In Texas, trails dovolopod from San Antonio to the Toxas ^ and Louisiana settlements... and from Sail Antonio northwestward to taut a Fe, tho Spanish caoitnl in northern New Mexico, ..and westward botwoen Ear. Antonio and &" Paso.. .and Letwcon Soil Antonio and Chihuahua, Mexico by a roundabout route thru Vost Toxas, for carrying supplies to that rich Lexicon mining State and the wealth of the mines to San Awto.do and tne coast for shipment. Northward, a Spanish trail thru Utah connected tho California missi.ons and Santa Fo, Jew nexico.