We finally caught a break in between storms and headed up Texas Hwy 21. Our goal was Linden, TX.
The drive on Hwy 21 through this part of Texas is a pretty drive. We began to see Historical Markers about every 5 miles, so curiosity up, I Googled it. The following is what I found:
The King's Highway
The Camino Real/King's Highway stretched some 1,000 miles from Saltillo, Mexico to Louisiana. Utilizing Indian and buffalo trails, Domingo Teran de los Rios laid out the portion known as the "Trail of the Padres" in 1691, thereby joining Monclova, then capital of the province, to the Spanish missions of east Texas. The Texas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution chose to support a resurvey and marking of the trail, providing substantial financial support. In 1915 the Texas legislature appropriated $5,000 to survey and mark the route. V.N. Zivley was commissioned to make the survey. The road was verified and resurveyed based on extant Spanish land grants and other documents. In 1918, granite markers were placed every five miles along the Texas section of the road. Ultimately, the project cost the Society $10,544.00, and the Texas government, $8,000.00. The railroads contributed by transporting the granite monuments at one-half the standard portage rates.
The Zivley manuscript volume, containing 114 sheets is endorsed: "I certify that this trail has been marked by granite boulders, inspected & dedicated, March Second, 1920", by Mrs. Lipscomb Norvell, State Chairman Old Trails Committee, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Excerpt from V.N. Zivley's "Preface":
In East Texas, that is from the initial point to the crossing of the Colorado River at Bastrop, the King's Highway, while in many places has been abandoned and entirely obliterated, was very definitely located by the Field Notes of land surveys made in the early years of the last century. These surveys were either bounded on one side by the old road, or if they crossed it the course and distance from the nearest corner to said crossing was in most instances stated, so that the relocation of the road in that part of the State was only a question of time and labor. From Bastrop to San Antonio there was little to guide me except tradition and the remaining evidence of the road to be found on the ground. From San Antonio to the Rio Grande or vice verse from the Rio Grande to San Antonio, about the only guide I had was the afore mentioned Diary of Morfi, a very learned and observant Spanish Priest who traveled the King's Highway in December 1778 form Presidio Rio Grand to the old Missions at San Antonio, and to that old Padre, though I am a Protestant of the most ultra blue stocking type, I want to doff my hat, as the most accurate artist in words of a country traversed that I have ever met -- in books. Every place he mentioned, every object of interest, I found just as described by him in that brief Diary. His only inaccuracy was in the distance stated between given points, invariably the distance given by him was greater than that given by the steel tape. But I picture him as a scholarly devout man of fragile physique and wearied as he was by the days travel "y muchas inflexiones inuteiles" how natural for him to overestimate distance. There is your history lesson for today...
This whole part of the state has had lots of heavy rain over the last month or so. The ground is obviously saturated, the creeks, streams and rivers have all over flowed their banks. Cattle is knee deep in mud, just trying to stay out of the deep water. The area has also been hit hard by tornadoes. A huge one went through the area around the town of Alto, TX a couple of weeks ago. There were trees down everywhere along the highway, road crews have obviously been very busy cutting them up just to get them off of the road. Damaged buildings everywhere, very sad to see. I managed to remember to get the camera out and snap a few pictures as we were driving down the road, but they don't cover the worst of what we saw.
Shortly after we pulled out of Alto, we had a warning light come on, one we had never seen before. So I pulled the manual out to see if I could find it. You know how helpful car manuals are!! Finally found it, coolant level low, recommended that we pull over and turn engine off. We are on a narrow two lane road, pulling the rig, there is no place to pull off. At the next turn in the road there is a Valero station where we could safely pull in and shut the engine off. Phil went inside to see if they had any coolant. While he was inside, a young white kid stopped to see if we needed any help. I told him what the problem was, and that Phil was inside looking for coolant. Shortly after that a young black kid stopped to see if he could help, and stayed until we had the coolant in, and told us there was a Dodge dealer in the next town, in the direction we were heading.
Before we got 20 miles down the road, the coolant symbol was on again. At this point, we were just a few miles out of Henderson, TX and the Dodge dealer was just at the other end of town, about 5 miles. So, we limped in, the service manager brought the code reader out, sending the info to her computer. We found an RV Park close by and parked the rig. Phil went back to the dealership and they took him right in. Phil said two or three guys worked on it, couldn't find any leaks, or a clue where the coolant was going. One guy took it out and drove it to see if the light would come back on, but it didn't. They made sure the reservoir was full and sent him on his way...no charge. Can't beat that for service!!
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