In the early days of the Old Spanish Trail, the memories of the Great War among OST travelers would've been very fresh, and they would be very familiar with many stories of heroism from that horrible conflict.
Some of those early travelers along the OST may have seen this memorial as it was being built on the northwest corner of the Kimble County courthouse. Others who lived in Junction and used the Old Spanish Trail more as Main Street than as an Auto Route to far-flung communities, would have known this young man, and been very familiar with both his family, and the story of his heroism in France.
This elegant memorial dedicated to PFC Burt Fleming reads as follows:
BURT M. FLEMING
SON OF J. S. FLEMING AND WIFE
Born Apr. 15, 1894. Volunteered in the United States Army May 26, 1918. Assigned to Company C, 143rd Infantry of the 36th Division. Was stationed at Ft. Worth Texas until July 3, 1918. Was transferred from there to Newport News. Sailed July 7, landed in France Aug 11, 1918. Went on firing line Oct. 6, 1918. Was cited for bravery and awarded a medal Oct. 8, 1918. Sacrificed his life Oct 13, 1918."
Blasterz have tried and failed to discover the exact medal PFC Fleming was awarded.
Like almost all the small Texas towns along the Old Spanish Trail, that part of the OST as it passes through Junction is named "Main Street."
As of 1969, the entire route of the former OST through Junction (including Main Street) was redesignated State Loop 481 to serve as a business route for the reroute of the US 290 north of town (preparing for the day to come where the US 290 would become the I-10).
Wikipedia proves that Texas SL 481 was formerly co-signed as US 83 and US 290. The US 83 came in from the south and joined US 290 east of Junction, where the two roads headed west through town. North of town, US 83 diverged from US 290, and continued north to the Oklahoma border.
US 290 entered Junction from the east, joined with US 83 and left US 83 to continue west to El Paso. Therefore, SL 481 is clearly the former route of the Old Spanish Trail. (
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