Good roads for Texas :a history of the Texas Highway Department, 1917-1947

Abstract

History has unfurled itself on the highways of Texas. From the period of the Spanish conquistadors, Texas roads have assumed an essential role in the history of the state. Road development contributed to the Christianizing efforts of the Spaniards, the colonizing programs of the empresarios under Mexican rule, the fortunes of war during the Texas Revolution, the physical isolation of the Republic of Texas, and finally to the marvelous growth of Texas as a political entity within the United States of America. Before 1917, Texas did not have a state highway department. Control of road construction and maintenance resided at the county level of government. Officials amateurishly routed roads, often for political reasons, and seldom maintained them. As a result, a coordinated system of highways simply did not exist. However, in l9l7 the state legislature created the Texas Highway Department so that the state would be eligible for financial assistance under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1916. State control of road construction and maintenance did not, nevertheless, materialize overnight. The counties maintained a cooperative partnership with the state vis-a-vis the road program until 1932, when the state highway commission discontinued accepting county aid for construction purposes.