HomeMy WebLinkAboutEl Camino Real de los TejasFINALElCaminoRealdelosTejasEl Camino Real de los TejasNational Historic Trail & Brazos County Crossroads
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Tejaslos TePeople settle in a place for People settle in a place for l de lppppa reason a reason ––and begin its and begin its Realhistory. The reason may history. The reason may h d i d d bl h d i d d bl mino Rhave dried up and blown have dried up and blown away but not the historyaway but not the historyCamaway, but not the history.away, but not the history.Rick Rick VanderpoolVanderpool, photographer, photographerEl C
Brazos County Commissioner’s CourtRe: OSR/El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic TrailApril142009April 14, 2009Good morning. Judge Sims, Honorable County Commissioners This presentation is for the purpose of respectfully requesting: Brazos County to participate in developing OSR/El Camino Real de los Tejas as a National Historic Trail by partnering with the cities of Bryan and College Station, National Park Service, TAMU and TxDOT. Brazos County can anchor the Brazos Valley yg,,yyRegion as Nacogdoches has anchored the eastern area of OSR, and take a leading role if it so desires.Also asking that $10,000.00 be budgeted for the 2009/2010 year toward development of OSR in our county as part of a National Historic Trail system in Texas.These funds will be used toward a National Park Service matching grant of $30,000, with funds from several entities includinghopefully the cities of Bryan and College Station, TAMU and TxDOT. Relative to a location for development in Brazos County: Currently the main site selected for an interpretive wayside is at Rye School Loop on land owned by College Station, situated in the Bryan ETJ. It has been dubbed a ‘rare jewel’ by the National Park Servicebecauseoftheunobstructedviewoftheprairiethesameviewseenbytravelers300yearsagoNocellphonetowersnohugebecause of the unobstructed view of the prairie —the same view seen by travelers 300 years ago. No cell phone towers, no huge electrical‐line towers, no water towers —just clear blue sky and a coveted expanse of prairie grasses. Amazingly it also contains a swale (or ruts) several feet long paralleling OSR before it curves to the north along Rye School Loop.Shocking us all; however, the Navasota Swales, a second recently discovered site, turns out to also be a prime place to develop. It contains a set of swales which some believe to be the longest in the state. If that is so, it could immediately throw Brazos County into g,yythe national spotlight in heritage tourism advertising. The thing today is –we won’t know until more research is conducted. We have a diamond in the ruff. Only we don’t yet know how big the diamond will be. The two sites will complement each other and are bothvaluable historic and archaeological finds.Visions at Rye School Loop are to develop an open area similar to Providence Church historic site near Easterwood Airport which TxDOT built in 2007. No buildings are planned. The National Park Service suggests also using signs to connect counties along all the trail routes, and to tell the history of the area, in our case —the Brazos Valley.
Cost and scope of signage down OSR for interpreting the story could range from a minimal number of locations, or include several, for example:1. Brazos River2. Site where Zebulon Pike camped in 1807p3. Rye School Loop, its history, settlers, terrain, springs, etc.4. Rye School Loop swale5. Fort Tenoxtitlan ca 1820s6. Staggers Point ca 18297. Benchley (Hwy 6) crossroads to Calvert 1860s8. Navasota RiverAt this time, the project is planned to cover two years in two phases: Phase I (1styear) for research and planningPhase II (2ndyear) for construction and developmentPhase I research prior to development could include, but not be limited to:Factual documentation of each of above historic sites for interpretive signspgMagnetometer search of the siteRange ecology: grasses, brush, flowersSoil surveyWater: locating local springs and crossing pointsSlSettlementsArchaeological investigationsDesign and layoutThe site will need to be cleaned slightly, but very carefully, in order to preserve the existingswales and other artifacts which might be found.
Prior to today, the process has undergone several steps:1. Request to the NPS: December 20082. NPS accepts and inspects property. Site visit: January 13, 20093. Cost Share Grant application for matching funds: March/April 20094RhPl idDlAil2009Mh20104.Research, Planning and Development: April 2009 –March 20105. A coordinating Planning Group has met in February, March, AprilMay I say the significance of OSR, our northern county border, cannot be over‐estimated. Throughout 300 years of history, it hascarried: Republic of Texas escapees during the Run‐away Scrape in 1836Settlers of Stephen F. Austin’s colony in 1820/21 including Richard Carter Gutierrez‐Magee Expedition soldiers to retake Texas from Spain in 1813Missionaries travelling from Spain (Mexico) to Louisiana and Los Adaes 1716Explorers from the 1690sIndians guiding the explorers, following animal trailsWe therefore consider OSR to be of great historical importance, 300 years ago and today.Developing it would benefit Brazos County on two levels:1. By bringing Heritage Tourism, a new industry to the Brazos Valley, and creating jobs.2. By bringing more people to book more overnight motel rooms, spend more money here and perhaps buy property to join us in building a thriving Brazos Valley. Bryan/College Station holds the central point on OSR between San Antonio and Louisiana and is a perfect stopping‐off, spend‐the‐night place from which to tour the area and surrounding counties. Instead of staying one or two nights to see a football game, we would like to attract heritage tourism travelers to stay one or two weeks.We would like to emphasize that joining this project is entirely voluntary. One part of the county might want to participate in pjgpjyypygppdevelopment of a site in their area. Another segment of the county may choose not to join in. The National Park Service will work with whoever requests their help and will not press any land owner to develop unless the land owner requests and instigates the process. No landowner will be bothered or their land infringed upon in any way by the Park Service and/or others in the process.Thank you for your time in hearing our requests and we hope your reply will be positive.Barbara Donalson Althaus▪Brazos County Historical Commission2101 Hillside, Bryan, TX 77802 ▪979‐260‐2951althaus@txcyber.com
TejasA road by any other name…A road by any other name…los Teyyyy••El Camino Real de los El Camino Real de los TejasTejasl de l••The King’s HighwayThe King’s Highway••Old San Antonio RoadOld San Antonio RoadReal••Old San Antonio RoadOld San Antonio Road••Old Spanish RoadOld Spanish Roadmino R••OSROSRCamEl C
Tejaslos Tel de lPurpose:RealPartnershipsmino RpAnchorsCamFundsEl C
Trail PartnershipsTrail PartnershipsPartnering with:Partnering with:Partnering with:Partnering with:¾¾National Park ServiceNational Park Service¾¾City of BryanCity of Bryan¾¾City of BryanCity of Bryan¾¾City of College StationCity of College Station¾¾TAMUTAMU¾¾TAMUTAMU¾¾TxDOTTxDOTA Hitg A Hitg ¾¾Area Heritage Area Heritage OrganizationsOrganizations
Trail AnchorsTrail AnchorsBrazos Valley Region of El Camino Brazos Valley Region of El Camino Real/OSR just as Nacogdoches has anchored the eastern area of OSR
Trail Funds$10,000 budgeted for FY10 toward development of Trail Funds$10,000 budgeted for FY10 toward development of El Camino Real/OSR as part of National Historic Trail system in Texassystem in TexasTo be applied to matching grant of $30,000 with funds from several area entities hopefully including funds from several area entities, hopefully, including the cities of Bryan and College Station
Tejaslos Tel de lRealSites:Sites:mino RSites:Sites:Rye School Swales Rye School Swales CamRye School Swales Rye School Swales Navasota SwalesNavasota SwalesEl CNavasota SwalesNavasota Swales
First site“Rare Jewel”First siteRare Jewel¾Rye Loop Swales on OSR¾Rye Loop Swales on OSR¾Land owned by City of College Station in Bryan ETJ¾Unobstructed view of the prairie ¾Unobstructed view of the prairie grasses & clear blue sky
Second site“Diamond in the Ro gh”Second site“Diamond in the Rough”¾Navasota Swales of Brazos County¾Navasota Swales of Brazos County¾Longest swales in the state¾Longest swales in the state
TejasVision:los Tel de lRye SchoolRealRye Schoolmino RCamEl C
Vision: Rye School LoopVision: Rye School LoopOpen area similar to Providence Church historic siteOpen area similar to Providence Church historic siteNo buildings planned at this time
Vision: OSR SignageVision: OSR SignageSignage ¾To connect the trail to other counties¾To tell the story of Brazos Valley¾Cost and scope could range from few pgto several signs
Vision: Points of Interest¾Brazos RiverVision: Points of Interest¾Zebulon Pike campsite, 1807¾Rye School Loop –history settlers terrain springs¾Rye School Loop history, settlers, terrain, springs¾Rye School Loop Swale¾Fort Tenoxtitlan ca 1820¾Fort Tenoxtitlan, ca. 1820¾Staggers Point, ca. 1829B hl (H 6) d C l 1860¾Benchley (Hwy. 6) crossroads to Calvert, ca. 1860¾Navasota River
Phase I: First YearResearch and planningPhase I: First Yearpg¾Factual documentation of interpretive signage¾Magnetometer search of the site¾Range ecology: grasses, brush and flowers¾Soil surveyWt l l i d i it¾Water: local springs and crossing points¾Settlements¾Archaeological investigations¾Archaeological investigations¾Design and layout¾Site preparation with emphasis on preservationpp p p
Phase II: Second YearConstruction and developmentPhase II: Second YearConstruction and development
Tejaslos TeProcess:l de lRealProcessmino RSignificance CamBenefitEl C
Process so far:Request for consideration: December 2008Process, so far:Request for consideration: December 2008NPS accepts & inspects property: January 13, 2009C t Sh G t li ti f t hi g f d Cost Share Grant application for matching funds: March -April, 2009Research, planning & development: April 2009-March 2010Planning group has met in February, March and April
Significance: 300 YearsNorthern county borderSignificance: 300 YearsRepublic of Texas escapees during Run-away Scrape 1836Settlers of Stephen F. Austin’s colony in 1820-21 including CRichard CarterGutierrez-Magee Expedition soldiers retake Texas from Spain in 1813in 1813Missionaries traveling from Spain (Mexico) to Louisiana and Los Adaesin 1716Explorers from the 1690sIndians guiding the explorers, following animal trails
Benefit:Benefit:Bringing Heritage Tourism, a new industry to the Bringing Heritage Tourism, a new industry to the Brazos Valley, thereby creating jobsBringing visitors to:Bringing visitors to:¾Book overnight motel roomsEj t t¾Enjoy our restaurants¾Perhaps even buy propertyB/CS is the central point on OSR between San Antonio and Louisiana
Tejaslos TeAssurancel de lRealmino RCamEl C
Assurance:Joining the project is voluntaryAssurance:Joining the project is voluntaryNPS will work with interested partiesNPS will notpress any landowner t d lto developNPS will notinfringe on any land NPS will notinfringe on any land without permission
In Closing:In Closing:HHappy Trails to You!ppy Y
ElCaminoRealdelosTejasEl Camino Real de los TejasNational Historic Trail & Brazos County Crossroads