"El Camino Signs Going Up, Tourism Task Ahead" by Joy Graham

El Camino Signs Going Up, Tourism Task Ahead

Milam History by Joy Graham

Rockdale Reporter - February 21, 2013

As you travel around Milam County look for the El Camino Real de los Tejas National

Trail signs.

These signs will be placed on 16 locations on the upper and lower routes of the trail.

See page 6A. There are 19 historic trails in America. They commemorate prominent routes

of exploration, migration, trade, communication and military action. They generally

consist of remnant sites, trail segments or associated structures.

Most of the trails are linked by auto routes. Traveling west from Mexico, two routes

enter in Maverick County and one in Webb and Zapata counties.

The four routes pass through Texas and merge into one route, crossing the Sabine River

into Sabine County in Louisiana, ending in Natchitoches.

El Camino Real de los Tejas is the 19th historic trail in the United States. The

Spanish royal road was established to link Mexico City to Los Adaes in Louisiana, the

provincial capital of Texas from 1722 to 1772.

Approximately 2,500 miles long, you can trace the history of Texas and northwestern

Louisiana through remaining trail traces, river crossings and historic communities that

have existed over 300 years.

What impact will this have on Texas, and locally to Milam County? What impact will this

have to the cities in the county? That depends on the city governments.

Milam County Historical Commission has worked to identify its historic properties. It

has restored its county buildings, the 1898 jail and 1892 courthouse. Milam County is

recognized as Certified Local Government Survey.

Plans are in progress to publish volume three of this county survey in late 2013.

What are the municipal cities doing to bring in business and encourage tourism?

Both Cameron and Rockdale have had presentations to seek Certified Local Government

since 2000. However there is no interest to date. Main Street Cities in Central Texas

are attracting and drawing visitors to their cities. There are trained resources in

Milam County. Working together, city economic development organizations, Chambers of

Commerce, preservationists, city council and the commissioners court can make this

happen.

Milam County has proven it is working toward identifying what it takes to get tourists

to the county, and that’s a big positive.

How many times has your city designed and published your logo, or brand? Rockdale has

had two brands in the past five years.

maryjoygraham@hotmail.com

All credit for this article goes to
Joy Graham
and the
Rockdale Reporter