The trail known throughout Texas as the Kings Highway can also be called the El Camino Real, El Camino Real de los Tejas, Old San Antonio Road (OSR), and Royal Road. The Kings Highway, or El Camino Real de los Tejas, is really a series of trails that meandered and shifted over time as needs changed for the travelers. However, it stayed within a generally consistent direction and overall location. While other old mission trails in other states are also referred to as El Camino Real, this marker is in the context of the path connecting Mexico City to what is now Natchitoches, Louisiana. Within Texas, a few other labels are sometimes used when referencing the El Camino Real, such as the San Antonio to Nacogdoches Road; or, from during the Civil War era, the Camino Arriba.
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) set these pink granite markers along a major portion of the El Camino Real de los Tejas in 1918, in conjunction with the State of Texas funding the cost of the markers. Many still exist today and are still visible along State Highway 21 and the State Highway OSR which are both documented as covering large portions of the El Camino Real de los Tejas trails. The Texas legislature declared the Old San Antonio Road as a Texas Historical Trail and more recently this trail was designated as a National Historic Trail.
This marker #108 is one that is not yet listed in Texas Historical Commission Atlas for La Salle County. This marker plus seven more twin sister markers are still extant along TX-97 within La Salle County (DAR markers #101, #102, #108, #109, #110, #111, #112 and #114). There are seven other markers missing (#100, #103, #104, #105, #106, #107 and #113) that are classified as "lost" by both the DAR and the TexasCounties.net.
This pink granite Kings Highway marker #108 is located on the left side of TX-97 when traveling from Fowlerton, TX toward Los Angeles, TX. It is unlike any of the other Kings Highway markers in that it is laying flat on the ground with the text facing up. However, it is on private property so you can only get as close as the fencing allows. If the grass is short and your camera has a telephoto lens, you can zoom in to get a pretty fair photo of the stone on the ground that shows the engraved text. If the grass is high, then you may not be able to view the stone at all. The coordinates are NOT where the stone actually is but is the closest you can get to the marker for a photo through the fence. It can be seen from the right of way of the highway but a better view is gotten near the entrance gate. Please respect the landowner' property rights and stay outside of the fence.
Additional References:
Old San Antonio Road: (
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Kings Hwy history: (
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El Camino Real Historical Trail: (
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Old San Antonio Road History: (
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