Tyler-Porter's Bluff Road
Edom, Van Zandt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
First mapped in 1846 and 1849 by state surveyors John Lawler and Samuel Huffer, this trail may pre-date Mexican rule. Used as a military road and a cattle trail, it extended from Tyler in Smith County to Porter's Bluff in northwestern Navarro County. By 1870, the Memphis and El Paso Stage Line made twelve mail stops along that route, nine of them in Van Zandt County. Much of the old trail near Edom was included when State Highways 64 and 279, as well as local farm roads, were created. In 1997, vestiges of the Tyler-Porter's Bluff Road were still visible in some locations. (1997) Incise on base: Historian: Neill S. Hays
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
First mapped by state surveyors in 1846 and 1849, this old road may predate Mexican rule, running from Tyler to Porter's Bluff on the Navarro County line. It served as a military road and a cattle trail, and by 1870 the Memphis and El Paso Stage Line made a dozen mail stops along it, nine in Van Zandt County alone. Modern highways later absorbed much of the route, though traces of the trail remained visible into the late 20th century.
Why it matters
Roads like this were the arteries of frontier Texas, carrying soldiers, cattle, and mail long before railroads and pavement redrew the map.
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Related people
- · John Lawler
- · Samuel Huffer
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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