HomeMy WebLinkAbout26 NPS El Camino RealMEMO
BRAZOS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
c/o Barbara Donalson Althaus
2101 Hillside, Bryan, TX 77802
brazoscountyh istory. org
December 4, 2008
TO : Parties Interested in Development of OSR (El Camino Real National Historic Tra i l)
Re: Mid-January 2009 meeting with National Park Service
Members of the National Park Service are com ing through our area to research areas suited for
development along El Camino Real (OSR in Brazos County). They will be accompanied by the
Texas State Archaeologist and others on a field trip beginning in Natchitoches, LA. Their next
stop, tentatively set between January 12 and 15, will be Brazos County.
The investigation w i ll include the site owned by the City of College Station where OSR is visible.
Also other wagon crossings, if any. Afterwards they will meet with parties interested in a
development of some sort along OSR for tourists . Suggestions range from road signs to tourist
facilities housing restrooms, educational pamphlets, and brochures.
El Camino Real was designated a National Historic Trail in 2004 by President Bush, and has been
in the planning stages. As one among 15 others in the United States, such as, the Santa Fe Trail,
Lewis & Clark, Trail of Tears, Natchez Trace, it will receive broad publicity and act as a magnet
to tourists. It forms the northern border of Brazos County.
B-CS could be a prime tourist stop-over site because of the numerous easily accessed
restaurants, motels, and museums . Some say even larger cities do not have eating areas equal
to the assortment on University Avenue or in historic Bryan. Most heritage tourist travel would
be during summer months or holidays when TAMU activity is lighter.
Please relay your interests to me at 979-260-2951 or althaus@txcyber.com . Also of vital
importance is discovering other sites where wagon tracks from OSR are still visible.
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· ~El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail -Management (U.S. National Park S... Page 1 of 1
National Park Servic@
U.S. Department of the lnt@rior
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
Management
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail was added to the National Trails
System by act of Congress in 2004. This nationally significant trail crosses Texas into
northwest Louisiana. This is a portion of the historic trail that linked Mexico City with the
Spanish colonial capital at Los Adaes (now in Louisiana).
Planning for trail administration is underway. The National Park Service will de velop a
Comprehensive Management Plan to provide guidance for future trail administration. Please
visit this website often for updates.
The National Historic Trails System, established by the National Trails System Act of 1968,
commemorates historic routes and promotes their preservation, and development for public
use.
National Historic Trails recognize diverse facets of history such as prominent past routes of
exploration , migration, trade, communication and military action. The historic trails
generally consist of remnant sites and trail segments, and thus are not necessarily
contiguous. Although National Historic Trails are administered by federal agencies , land
ownership may be in public or private hands.
Of the 18 National Historic Trails, 14 are administered by the National Park Service , one by
the USDA Forest Service, one by the Bureau of Land Management, and two jointly by the
National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
Learn more about the National Trails System , including National Historic, Scenic, and
Recreation Trails. View the National Trails System map.
Did You Know?
Long before Spanish entradas (first explorations) into the American Southwest,
American Indian trails crossed Mexico , Texas, and Louisiana. Some of these
same routes provided access for later traders , soldiers, and immigrants following
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.
Last Updat ed: July 2 3, 2008 at 19:45 EST
http://www.nps.gov/elte/parkmgmt/index.htm 11/30/2008
• .Bl Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail -Plan Your Visit (U.S. National Park. .. Page 1of1
National Park S@rvice
U.S . Department of the Interior
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
Plan Your Visit
Due to its recent (2004) designation, there is no formally established auto tour route for El
Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail. However, local travel guides can provide
information about historic sites and museums located along the historic trail.
Consider contacting chambers of commerce and visitors bureaus in communities along the
trail to learn more about local attractions and activities.
Laredo Convention & Visitors Bureau www.visitlaredo.com
San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau www.sanantoniocvb.com
Cuero Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture www.cuero.org
Crockett & Houston County, East Texas Tourism Association
www .easttexasguide.com/2005/pages/00/04/91.html
Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau www.visitnacogdoches.org
San Aug~stine County Chamber of Commerce http://visit.sanaugustinetx.com
Natchitoches Area Convention & Visitors Bureau www.historicnatchitoches.com
I
Did You Know?
The identification of El Camino Real de los Tejas's route, now a national historic
trail, was based largely on travel diari es, chronicles, and records of Spanish
explorers.
Last Updated : August 20 , 2007 at 11: 19 EST
http ://www.nps.gov I elte/planyourvisit/index.htm 11/30/2008
old OSR segment at Rye Loop Rd .
-2008 aerial photograph -
Scale 1: 17902
0 250 500 750
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