El Camino Real back on historic track

U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez of San Antonio vowed Thursday to designate the oldest highway in Texas as a national historic trail, hoping to end an ordeal that has dragged on for more than five years.

"We're going to keep fighting this till we make it happen," Rodriguez said during a presentation at Mission San José.

Rodriguez reintroduced El Camino Real de Los Tejas National Historic Trail Act in November, his fourth attempt since 1998 to push it through Congress.

This time the designation would apply only to public lands and wherever private property owners consent.

"As far as I know, no other trails bill has gone this far to protect private property rights," said Rodriguez, a Democrat.

The last version of the bill passed the House in 2001, but failed in the Senate.

Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who has voiced concerns in the past, will support the new bill as long as landowners can opt in or out, a spokesman said.

"She's just trying to do it in a way that respects private property rights," said Kevin Schweers, in Hutchison's Washington office.

El Camino Real was the first royal highway established by Spain in what is now Texas.

More than three centuries old, it was really a wide swath of roads and trails that followed paths trod by animals and later were worn down by American Indians hunting and trading.

The highway started in Mexico City and had routes going near Laredo and Eagle Pass, through San Antonio and on to Louisiana.

Today it can be seen as fossilized wagon ruts, pieces of country roads and segments of thoroughfares such as Nacogdoches Road and Interstate 35.

"That was the foundation of the road system that we enjoy in Texas today," said Robert Thonhoff, an adviser for a tricentennial commemoration of the highway in 1991 and also for a recent study to see if it qualifies for federal recognition.

If designated a historic trail, the National Park Service would develop a plan to preserve El Camino Real and mark it with signs and plaques at significant points.

Cities and towns would be encouraged to participate and market the route as a draw for tourists.

"It will allow worldwide publicity," Thonhoff said. "It will be a vehicle in which we will show and tell our story."

El Camino Real began as part of an effort to ward off French intrusion on the northern edge of Spain's empire in the New World.

The system strung together villas, presidios and missions, and it eventually became a spigot for American settlers.

Rodriguez likes to point out that Davy Crockett trekked south on El Camino Real, and Gen. Santa Anna marched north on it to get here for one of the most famous battles on the continent.

Long before Europeans arrived, American Indians used the same routes and later guided Spanish explorers along them.

Isaac Cardenas of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation said that also is an important part of the highway's history.

"We can't progress in the future if we forget where we came from," he said. "I think we've come a long way since 1492 when the strangers came."

"Today it can be seen as fossilized wagon ruts,..."

A geologist friend told me about the time in the 1940s when he was mapping a surface fault across a part of S. Texas - until a rancher told him it was only the "ole stage coach road to San Antone".

I don't have any problem with pointing out where this trail (not a "highway") existed. History is worth preserving when it makes sense.

But when preserving it means taking private property rights, then I object.

I don't like Ciro Rodriguez at all, but he may have finally gotten the message and proposed a good bill.

This bill will start out benign, then later on the teeth will be added as the cook factor takes effect. Then you'll have the Bureau of Land management sneaking around in people's back yards. Next the property owners will receive notices of intent to purchase, leans and obfuscation if they don't give up the family land.

I've seen it happen before. Sorry, these little trips down memory lane can turn brutal against mom and pop. I think route 66 was great too, but I'll be damned if I'll watch the feds abuse people to preserve all of it.

Time moves on. Trails come and go. So what...

Fortunately, in Texas there is very little federal land -- only what the state has decided to give to them from the state land stockpile.

We may have less to worry about than in other states. Private property is taken very seriously in Texas.

Could someone explain to me why a bill needs to be passed in congress for this? Can't private property owners just go start posting signs for this?

I'm confused as to why the government need get involved at all.

5 posted on 01/16/2004 6:41:26 PM PST by kingu (Remember: Politicians and members of the press are going to read what you write today.)

"It will allow worldwide publicity," Thonhoff said. "It will be a vehicle in which we will show and tell our story."

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And another myth will be created whose behind we will be required to kiss.

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"She's just trying to do it in a way that respects private property rights,"

That will last about six months.

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