Long before the iconic ribbons of asphalt like Route 66 graced America’s landscape, a crucial network of roads known as the Ozark Trail Highway served as a vital artery connecting the heartland to the Southwest. This significant, albeit short-lived, cross-country thoroughfare was a testament to early 20th-century ambition, organized by the dedicated Ozark Trails Association to bridge vast distances and foster regional development.
In an era preceding the robust United States federal highway system, America’s burgeoning automobile and tourism industries, alongside advancements in agricultural mechanization and the burgeoning trucking sector of the 1910s, necessitated improved transportation infrastructure. It was during this period that a localized network of roads began to link major hubs like St. Louis, Missouri, with distant destinations such as El Paso, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it converged with the historic Santa Fe Trail. This nascent system laid the groundwork for future continental travel, with the Ozark Trail Highway at its pioneering forefront.
The Visionaries Behind the Ozark Trail: William ‘Coin’ Harvey and the Ozark Trails Association
The driving force behind the Ozark Trail Highway was the Ozark Trail Association, established in 1913 by William “Coin” Harvey. A prominent lawyer, real estate developer, and visionary entrepreneur deeply invested in Arkansas tourism, Harvey saw the immense potential in a well-connected road system. His association’s mission was clear: to champion the development of improved highways stretching from St. Louis, Missouri, all the way to Las Vegas, New Mexico, traversing the diverse states of Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Harvey, along with other proponents of the ‘good roads’ movement, firmly believed that an organized network of marked roads would catalyze community growth and prosperity by effectively linking towns, cities, and states.
The Ozark Trail Association was not a government entity, but rather a collective of private citizens committed to encouraging local municipalities to take responsibility for constructing and maintaining road systems throughout the Ozarks and beyond. In 1914, Cyrus Avery, a prominent figure from Tulsa, Oklahoma, notably spearheaded the organization of an Oklahoma branch, further solidifying the movement’s reach and influence.
It is important to understand that Harvey and his association did not physically build the roads themselves. Instead, their role was to advocate for ‘good roads,’ enlighten local communities about the profound economic advantages that improved highways offered, and even disseminate valuable information on highway design principles. Their hope was that local communities would embrace the responsibility of building and maintaining these vital arteries, while the association would dedicate its efforts to their promotion and publicity. This ambitious endeavor was primarily financed through modest $5/year memberships and generous donations from supporters who believed in the vision of a connected America.
Mapping the Routes: Conventions and Corridor Development
Throughout its active years, the Ozark Trail Association hosted numerous national conventions, pivotal gatherings where decisions regarding the highway’s expansion and routes were fiercely debated. With many cities vying to be included and various factions promoting different paths, the core main line routes for the Ozark Trail Highway were officially adopted in 1916 at the significant Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, convention. These initial routes encompassed northern, central, and southern alignments, collectively forming one of the earliest interstate road networks west of the Mississippi River. However, early travelers often found these routes confusing, with frequent diversions and the challenge of navigating section-line roads characterized by arduous right-angle turns every mile, making for a slow and demanding journey.
Further refinement of the routes occurred at the 1917 Amarillo, Texas, convention. This meeting was heavily influenced by the substantial improvements already made by communities situated along proposed paths. Ultimately, the more central route gained favor, strategically including key cities like Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Amarillo, Texas; and Las Vegas, New Mexico. This selection was particularly prescient, as it effectively established a crucial corridor that would later become a significant portion of the legendary Route 66.
Marking the Way: Signs, Guidebooks, and Obelisks
To assist travelers, the Ozark Trails Association initially marked its routes in a straightforward yet effective manner. Telephone poles along the route were painted with distinctive green and white stripes. Soon after, more formalized diamond-shaped signs were introduced, featuring a white background adorned with a prominent green “OT” (for Ozark Trail) flanked by two green stripes. Beyond physical markers, the association also distributed comprehensive guidebooks, which were invaluable resources for motorists, providing detailed turn-by-turn directions, helpful maps, descriptive photos, and insights into the various towns and communities along the way.
Around 1917, significant progress was made in road surfacing, with various sections of the Ozark Trail receiving hard surfaces of asphalt, concrete, and occasionally brick. These crucial infrastructure projects were largely funded through county and local bond issues, supplemented by support from the landmark Federal Road Act of 1916, which signaled growing federal recognition of the need for improved national transportation networks.
At the 1918 convention held in Miami, Oklahoma, William “Coin” Harvey proudly announced that the Ozark Trail Association had adopted and marked an impressive 2,000 miles of roads, with ambitious plans to promote an expansive 7,000-mile Ozark Trail Highway system. It was at this convention that Harvey first proposed the installation of permanent markers along the trails. His initial vision called for twelve distinctive monuments to be erected between Springfield, Missouri, and Las Vegas, New Mexico, strategically placed at key branch junctions. A grand 50-foot-tall monument at Romeroville, New Mexico, was also envisioned to proudly signify the junction with the historic Santa Fe Trail, connecting two significant arteries of American expansion.
Following 1918, the association actively encouraged towns to construct tall, slender white obelisks, often with pyramidal tops and green directional lettering. These elegant markers served dual purposes: clearly delineating the various Ozark Trail routes and indicating distances to nearby towns and communities, a critical aid for early motorists navigating unfamiliar territories.
Challenges and Evolution: The Pecos Valley Route Controversy
The expansion of the Ozark Trail Highway was not without its internal challenges. At the 1919 Roswell convention, a significant controversy erupted over a proposal to extend the route south through Artesia and Carlsbad to Van Horn, Texas. The aim was to create a direct connection with the Old Spanish Trail. This proposed extension, known as the Pecos Valley Route, generated considerable debate. Ultimately, at the 1920 convention, this route received approval as an ‘alternative’ path to El Paso, thereby complementing the existing primary route from Roswell to El Paso via Alamogordo. Further adjustments were made in 1922, when this alternative route shifted its course from Malaga to Pecos, Texas, rather than continuing to Van Horn.
The Decline of a Pioneer and the Rise of Federal Highways
The network of roads comprising the Ozark Trail Highway represented the primary highway system in the region for a substantial period, serving vital transportation needs until the advent of the standardized U.S. Highway 66 in the 1920s. Portions of the original section-line roads between Anadarko and Hobart in Oklahoma are still locally referred to as “The Old Ozark Trail,” a direct nod to its enduring legacy.
By the mid-1920s, the Ozark Trails highway system reached its peak of influence. However, a significant shift in national policy was underway: a comprehensive numbering system for highways, both at national and state levels, began to take hold. As this uniform system expanded, the necessity for individually named highways, like the Ozark Trail, gradually diminished. This marked a turning point for the volunteer-driven associations that had pioneered America’s road infrastructure.
Further cementing the transition to federal oversight, the U.S. government undertook its first federal highway project in Oklahoma in 1923 with the construction of the Newcastle Bridge over the South Canadian River, connecting Newcastle and Oklahoma City. This marked a clear move towards centralized highway development.
Reflecting the changing landscape, the Ozark Trails Association held no conventions after 1924. The passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1925, which finally integrated the Deep South into the federal roads program, essentially rendered the association’s core functions obsolete. Consequently, the visionary organization that had championed the Ozark Trail Highway ultimately disbanded.
In 1926, the U.S. Office of Public Roads formally redesignated most of the former Ozark Trail Highway as U.S. Highway 66. This new, grander highway stretched from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, and would soon capture the American imagination as a symbol of freedom and adventure, overshadowing its predecessors. The Ozark Trail Highway served as a crucial precursor, providing vital infrastructure and demonstrating the immense potential of a connected America that Route 66 would later capitalize on.
Enduring Echoes: Remaining Monuments and Lasting Impact
With the implementation of the uniform numbering system, many of the tall white obelisks that once proudly marked the Ozark Trail routes were unfortunately destroyed or became buried. Of the twenty-one original monuments constructed, only seven remain standing today, silent sentinels to a bygone era. These can be found in Stroud and Langston, Oklahoma, and in Dimmitt, Wellington, and Tulia, Texas. An additional replica obelisk stands in Farwell, Oklahoma, ensuring at least some physical representation of this historic route endures. Except for these scattered monuments and the faint echoes in local nomenclature, the Ozark Trail Highway is largely a memory today, a vital chapter in America’s road-building history.
The legacy of the Ozark Trail Highway, while often overshadowed by its more famous successor, Route 66, is undeniable. It represents a critical early effort to connect a rapidly industrializing nation, fostered by the dedication of private citizens and their associations. It demonstrated the economic and social benefits of improved roads, paving the way for the extensive federal highway systems we rely on today. Its story is a testament to the ingenuity and foresight of those who first imagined a connected America, road by road.
