Kings Highway - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

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 #102 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 #102 is located on the left side of TX-97 when traveling from Fowlerton, TX toward Los Angeles, TX. It is not quite half way between these two communities, being a bit closer to Fowlerton, TX. This Kings Highway marker has been placed in a concrete base which lifts the stone up enough to be easily visible while driving toward it. This marker is at a very wide pull-over area along the side of TX-97, with the marker on the edge of the pull over area, which makes it convenient to stop and get a photo. This concrete base in which the stone is set in leaning forward at a noticeable angle. Even so, the marker appears solid and safe in this location.

Additional References:
Old San Antonio Road: (visit link)
Kings Hwy history: (visit link)
El Camino Real Historical Trail: (visit link)
Old San Antonio Road History: (visit link)

Marker Number: -None- Marker Text: Kings Highway Camino Real Old San Antonio Road Marked by the Daughters of the American Revolution And the State of Texas A. D. 1918

Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.

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Date Logged Log   12/02/2018 WayBetterFinder visited it