Old National Road Crossing
Wolfe City, Hunt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
1 mi. N.E. below junction of Short Creek and Sulphur River. The Central National Road of Texas (Republic) was created by act of Texas Congress, 1844, with intent to give the new nation a unified transportation route. From present Dallas to the head of navigation on the Red River, northwest of Clarksville, road linked to northeast Texas the military routes of west and central Texas; connected with routes east at Jonesborough and Paris. It failed to gain international status Congress hoped for, due to population shifts, coming of railroads and development of other routes. (1967)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Central National Road of Texas was chartered by the Congress of the Republic in 1844 to give the young nation a unified transportation route, running from near present-day Dallas toward the head of navigation on the Red River. It tied northeast Texas to the military roads of the west and central regions and connected to routes leading east. Undone by shifting population, the coming of railroads, and rival roads, it never achieved the international importance its founders envisioned.
Why it matters
This early national road reflects the Republic of Texas's ambition to bind its frontier together, an infrastructure dream soon overtaken by the railroads that reshaped American expansion.
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Related events
- · Central National Road of Texas
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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