Central National Road of the Republic of Texas

Duane's take

Here's my take on what the official marker has to say, so settle in. Way back when Texas was still its own republic, the young nation had roads on its mind. Big roads.

Military roads. Roads that would stitch together a sprawling, sovereign country and even shake hands with the United States military road that had been built north of the Red River back in the 1820s. That was the ambition, and the Republic of Texas was not thinking small.

Congress got moving in 1839, passing a bill for a road running east from Washington-on-the-Brazos all the way to the Sabine River. Then 1841 legislation called for a road from the Nueces up to the Red River, and another one striking west from Austin clear to Santa Fe, New Mexico. A road system worthy of a nation.

Now, the one we're standing near the legacy of today is the Central National Road, created in 1844. Its job was to reach from the mouth of Elm Fork on the Trinity River all the way north to Kiomatia Crossing on the Red River. One hundred and thirty miles of republic-building, and it ran right down a main street in Paris, Texas, a town that was itself founded in 1844.

Near the south end of the route sat the John Neely Bryan home, built in 1841, the very home around which the city of Dallas would originate. Major George W. Stell was the man who surveyed that 130-mile route, and the plans he was working with were specific.

Thirty feet wide. Clear of tree stumps over twelve inches high. And here's the part that tells you something about how Texas did business: for every mile of road built, bridges included, the builder could earn a grant of 160 acres of public land.

A mile of road for a piece of Texas. The commissioners overseeing all of this were Roland W. Box of Harrison County, James Bradshaw of Nacogdoches County, William M.

Williams and Jason Wilson of Lamar County, and John Yeary of Fannin County. They never quite finished the grand vision, but the route they laid out didn't disappear. Later roads followed it, roughly, the way water finds an old channel.

The Central National Road of the Republic of Texas never got to be everything it was designed to be, but it pointed the way, and Texas, as it tends to do, eventually caught up with where that road was trying to go.

What the marker says

Designed as a military highway, intended to make linkage with United States military road built to the north of the Red River in the 1820s. This was part of the national effort of Republic of Texas to open a good road system. Congress in 1839 passed a bill for a road east from Washington-on-the-Brazos to the Sabine River; 1841 legislation called for a road from the Nueces to the Red River and another from Austin to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Central National Road was created in 1844, to reach from mouth of Elm Fork on the Trinity to Kiomatia Crossing on the Red. It went down a main street in Paris, which was founded in 1844; near its south end was the 1841 John Neely Bryan home around which the city of Dallas originated. Major George W. Stell surveyed the 130-mile route. Plans called for a road 30 feet wide and clear of tree stumps over 12 inches high. For each mile of road built (including bridges), grants of 160 acres of public lands were offered. Commissioners were Roland W. Box, Harrison County; James Bradshaw, Nacogdoches County; William M. Williams and Jason Wilson, Lamar County; John Yeary, Fannin County. The route is roughly followed by later roads.