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westward to the Pacific, they have carried their gospel of a broad and beautiful highway, and of the revival of the old history and the preservation of the old works of the heroic pioueers of centuries ago. Their work is not completed. They have been blazing new paths for civic effort. Removal of advertising, broad highways, attractive roadsides, and beauty of countryside, are the ideas of many today thruout the United States. These thoughts were new when these women were called to this work.
Old Spanish Trail Notv a United Stales Highway
In 1925 the United States Highways were designated. The Old Spanish Trail thru West Texas was not included; the Del Rio road was designated. Failing to correct this in Texas, llarral Ayres in April 1920 again went to Washington. There this question was reopened, then with the aid of Texas and Washington officials and Congressman Wurzbach the West Texas Hill Country route was designated and the Old Spanish Trail from Saint Augustine to San Diego became wholly a United States Highway and subject to primary consideration of all officials.
Cooperation and Achievement
In a summary like this there is room only for mentioning a few of the meetings, conferences and activities. Very active work was continued for thirteen years — three years under Mobile leadership, ten years under San Antonio leadership. Much that refers to Texas is told here. The struggle in the other States is also an epic story. Travelers between Saint Augustine and San Diego today see a beautiful country and enjoy travel comforts. They know nothing of the efforts of citizens to finance fifty miles of bridges and causeways, thirty miles of seawall, and thousands of miles of pavement nor of the hardships of the engineers, contractors and workmen as they battled with the elements. The country has been transformed in a few years by exceptional achievements of the southern people.
The Monuments
November 17, 1923, a marble shaft fixing the Pacific terminus was dedicated at San Diego by an address by President Coolidge, read by Col. Ed Fletcher. March 27, 1924, a prehistoric boulder was placed at San Antonio’s old Spanish center of trails, roads and surveys. The dedication address was by Governor Pat : The Old Trail Drivers reenacted their old time stage conch an freight wagon experiences. Finally at Saint Augustine, the ginning-point of the Old Spanish Trail, the Exchange Club e ec eu a commanding monument. April 2-3-4, 1929, at Saint Augustine
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the formal opening of the Old Spanish Trail across the continent was celebrated with old Spanish pageantry that cost those people $10,000 and this monument was dedicated with national and international acclaim, for among the dedication speakers was a representative of the King of Spain. San Diego, California organized I he motorcade and sent eminent citizens that crossed the continent and brought various State delegations to the celebra-lio. Mrs. F. W. Sorcll lead the delegation from Texas. The following delivered addresses:	Mayor George Bassett of Saint
Augustine — T. ,f. Brooks, representing Governor Doyle E. Carl-toil — Seuor Don Rafael Casares Gil, representing the King of Spain — Hnrr.nl Ayres, Managing Director — Mrs. F. W. Sorell, National Director of Beautification — Mrs. Alex L. Adams, President San Antonio Federation of Women’s Clubs — Thomas C. I meson, representing the National Exchange Club — Elwood T. Bniley, representing the San Diego organizations and officials.
Interest in the Highway Spread Over the Continent
Letters come from all over the United States, and from Canada, Mexico. Europe and the Pacific islands. The letters are correctly addressed. This shows how the Old Spanish Trail name has spread. Editors and writers seek data and photos. Tourist routing bureaus and auto clubs want maps and travelogs; 98,000 travelogs have been published and the demand has always been much greater than the supply. Thousands of school children have written for material for study purposes. Lecturers, libraries, syndicate news bureaus, radio broadcasters, historical strip picture service, and writers of books are all in recent files. Several books have been published. Magazine and feature articles constantly appear. A clipping service was subscribed for; it showed a vast range of publicity. Scrap books were discontinued because they became a burden. The clippings show 50,000,000 readers were reached in 1928.
During 1927-28-20 when the great bridges and the million dollar paving jobs and seawalls were being dedicated by governors and the Old Spanish Trail Managing Director at big celebrations, the Old Spanish Trail name flashed repeatedly over the land. When the conventions in 1928 of the American Legion, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Democrats, Elks and Masons were coming to this Old Spanish Trail country the .Managing Director arranged with the publicity directors of the conventions, and with the American Automobile Association and the national news bureaus — The A. A. A. put out route maps to the newspapers of the country. The auto clubs and the news agencies gave the Old Spanish Trail routing while
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