Texas Almanac, 1949-1950 Page: 340
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TEXAS AI.MANAC.-1949-1950.
GROWTH OF HIGHWAY SYSTEM
Data in foregoing figures showing relative
mileage of improved, semi-improved and un-
improved highways in Texas are likely to be
misleading. While there is a large unim-
proved mileage. Texas is recognized as having
one of the finest highway systems in the
United States. Though there is a large un-
improved mileage of country road, the 74,000
miles of all-weather road in the state and
rural systems carry probably 96 per cent of
all public road traffic, although improved
mileage is only 36 per cent of the total mile-
age of public roads within the state,
Ribbons of concrete cross the state from
east to west and from north to south. In
addition to serving a heavy intrastate motor
vehicle traffic, they also carry a heavy inter-
state traffic, forming a link in the southern
transcontinental routes and likewise a link
in the international highway system of North
America. The traveler from the Atlantic Sea-
board to California most likely goes through
Texas. All highway traffic between Mexico
and the Midcontinent and Eastern States is
through Texas.
Factors in Highway Development.
The public road system of Texas is prob-
ably of greater importance to its economy,
relatively, than is the road system to the
economy of any other state. There are sev-
eral reasons.
The spread of the Texas population of
7,230,000 over its 263,644 square miles of land
area is one. The mere tact of a population
density of only 27.4 to the square mile is not
the only significant factor. The geographic
position of Texas' principal productive areas
with respect to its industrial, commercial.,
financial, governmental and cultural centers
emphasizes the travel-and-transportation func-
tion in the region's economy. The juxtapost-
tion of. for example, the fertile and expand-
ing Great Plains, the productive Lower Rio
Grande Valley and the East Texas oil and
timber area to the grain and cattle markets of
Fort Worth. the financial and wholesaling
services of Dallas. the port and industrial
functions of Houston and the state govern-
ment center of Austin-these and many other
relationships encourage mobility in its various
forms.
Again, the geographic position of Texas as
a whole in the Gulf Southwestern corner ol
the United States tends to increase the rela-
tive amount of passenger travel and commod-
ity and merchandise transportation.
Furthermore. Texans. as a frontier people.
are naturally a mobile people. They sought
the wide spaces, and they have become accus-
tomed to thinking and moving in terms of
wide spaces.
Be innings of Road Improvement in Texas.
The first motor vehicle* was driven over
Texas roads in 1899. The Spindletop oil dis-
covery in 1901 greatly stimulated popular
interest in the new form of transportation.
In 1911, at about the time that people began
to realize that the "motor age' was upon
them, the highway improvement in Texas was
reported in the Texas Almanac as follows:
Macadam roads, 261 miles; shell, 165 miles,
gravel. 1,705.5 miles; sand-clay, 1,777.6 miles;
other improvements, estimated. 500 miles;
total, 5,125 miles. At that time it was esti-
mated that there were 160.000 miles of road in
the state, all of which mileage was then lo-
cally maintained.
Interest in highway development became
general in Texas between 1900 and 1910. Dur-
ing this period an appreciable number of
residents of the state became automobile own-
*The first car driven In Texas was owned by
Col. E. H. R. Green of Terrell. Texas. president
of the Texas Midland Railroad. according to infor-
mation available to the Texas Almanacers. It was during this decade that the first
good roads clubs were formed and the voting
of bonds for road construction became fre-
quent
In the relatively few years of exclusive
state control of the designated highway sys-
tem there have been (1) an integration of the
system by the filling in of the gaps in the
pavement that were left when it was neces-
sary for local aid to participate in any high-
way improvement. (2) a rapid extension of
paved mileage. (3) a general upgrading of all
types of improvement, and (4) rapid progress
in bridge construction. This last-mentioned
improvement has been important because.
while few Texas streams are of the large.
navigable type, yet even in the western parts
of the state the characteristic rapid precipita-
tion and quick runoff from the open, rolling
terrain have created a sti eam crossing prob-
lem out of proportion to normal stream flow.
Four Milestones.
The progress of highway improvement in
this state may be said to have passed four
milestones. First of these was the act of the
Legislature In 1909 providing for subdivision
of a county for the voting of bonds for high-
way improvement; second was the setting up
of the State Highway Commission in 1917
third was the act of 1925 following the deci-
sion of the higher courts In the Limestone
County case giving the state control of public
highways; and fourth was the act of 1932 by
which the state assumed interest and sinking
fund obligations on bonds previously voted by
civil subdivisions for improvement of state
highways.
Highway Improvement, by Types.
Mileage of the various types of highway
improvement in the state highway system.
as of Aug. 31, 1948, was as follows, according
to the State Highway Department:
Type-- Mileage.
Eartn 'oads not to standard .......... 365.97
Grading and small structures . ... ....503.12
Flexible base untreated gravel, caliche. 273.32
Crude oil treatment-road oil mix... 286.04
Preservative-dustless surface .. 1,928.81
Bituminous treatments-single and
multiple 15,598.72
Bituminous road mix surfaces .... 668.00
Asphaltic macadam ................. 249.09
Rock asphalt on concrete base........ 201.56
Rock asphalt on flexible base .... ...1,191.03
Asphaltic concrete cold on concrete.... 202.99
Asphaltic concrete cold on flexible base 982.45
Asphaltic concrete hot on concrete ..... 560.14
Asphaltic concrete hot on flexible base.. 859.69
Concrete pavement ................... 4,754.8.E
Brick pavement ...................... 17.75
Concrete base ......................248.79
Total .. ... ... ............t28,892.35
City mileage not included 1,253.65
Conditional designations not maintained 4,184 13
Grans total .. ...... .... ...t34,330.13
Exclusive of bridges.
tlncludes 131.51 miles of state park roads.
Rural Public Roads in Texas.
There were about 173,854 miles of rural
roads in the state as of Dec. 31, 1948. This
mileage, added to the mileage in the state
highway system, made a total of 204,000 miles
of public roads.
Mileage of rural roads by types of improve-
ment, as surveyed on Dec. 31, 1947, was as
follows:
Type- Miles.
Primitive and unimproved ........... 91,616.70
Graded and drained earth road ........ 31,051.95
Soil-surfaced ......................... 2,498.84
Gravel or stone ...................... 36,085.42
Low-type bituminous ................ 6,902.64
High-type bituminous ............... 392.17
Portland cement concrete ........... 707.22
Brick ...... ... ..................... 5.43
Timber bridge floor .................. 346.66
Total .............................. "169,607.03:
'This figure differs from that given above,
bela-use oif different dates of survey.
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Texas Almanac, 1949-1950, book, 1949; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117167/m1/342/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.