Central National Road of the Republic of Texas

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say, so take it for what it is: the record set down in stone. Now, the Republic of Texas was a young and ambitious thing, and its Congress knew that settlers were coming whether the roads were ready or not. So they did what ambitious young governments do; they made a plan.

One of the bigger ones was the Central National Road, drawn up to connect the Red River all the way down to existing military roads along the Trinity River and points farther west. The idea was to crack open northeast Texas for settlement and commerce both. On February 5, 1844, Congress put together a five-man commission to supervise the surveying and construction of that road.

Now, commissions need incentive, and this one got land. One of those commissioners, a man named John Yeary, took his land payment in what is now Collin County, and on that ground he founded a settlement that grew into the town of Farmersville. Not a bad return on a commission appointment.

For the actual surveying work, the commissioners turned to George Stell of Paris, Texas. He started in April of 1844, from a point that today sits within the city of Dallas. Him and his assistant set off northeast, measuring and marking the exact route with the kind of patience that kind of work demands.

They passed through the present counties of Dallas, Rockwall, Collin, Hunt, Fannin, Lamar, and Red River; seven counties in all, though only three of them had even been formally organized at the time. The other four were, more or less, just future on a map. Stell's crew wasn't fighting the land so much as reading it.

They followed existing prairies, found natural stream crossings, and steered well clear of densely wooded areas. The road ended at the Kiomatia Crossing of the Red River, near what is now Jonesborough in Red River County. Here's where the story gets a little murky.

The records aren't clear on whether construction of that road was ever actually completed. And it didn't matter long either way; the Central National Road was short-lived, nudged aside first by the Preston Road and other early routes, and eventually by rail lines that made the whole argument moot. But short-lived doesn't mean it didn't matter.

That road helped open northeast Texas to growth and development. And through John Yeary's connection to the commission, and his choice to plant roots in Collin County, it left a mark on this part of Texas that outlasted the road itself. Sometimes the most important roads are the ones that lead somewhere, even after they're gone.

What the marker says

During its brief existence, the Congress of the Republic of Texas made significant efforts to plan for the inevitable increase in settlement. One of those efforts was the establishment of the Central National Road, designed to connect the Red River to existing military roads along the Trinity River and points farther west, thus opening much of northeast Texas to both settlement and commerce. On February 5, 1844, the Congress created a five-man commission to supervise the surveying and construction of the road. Commission members, which included John Yeary, received land for their work. Yeary selected property in present Collin County and founded a settlement that grew to become Farmersville. The commissioners chose George Stell of Paris, Texas, as surveyor for the project. He began his work in April 1844 from a point now within the city of Dallas. He and his assistant traveled northeast, measuring and marking the exact route, which passed through the present counties of Dallas, Rockwall, Collin, Hunt, Fannin, Lamar and Red River; only three of them had been formally organized at that time. The new route utilized existing prairies and natural stream crossings, and avoided obstacles like densely wooded areas. It ended at the Kiomatia Crossing of the Red River near present Jonesborough, Red River County. While records are unclear as to whether construction was ever completed, history shows the Central National Road was short-lived, soon replaced by the Preston Road and other early routes, and eventually by rail lines. It did, however, help open northeast Texas to increased growth and development. Through Yeary's association with the road and his settlement in Collin County, it also directly impacted the early growth in population of this area. (2005)