Winter Road Trip

[ypsi-slim]

I am taking a winter roadtrip and have a question about the eastern terminus of

the Old Spanish Trail highway. I know that it generally follows old US 90 west out

of Jacksonville, but what about the segment between Saint Augustine and

Jacksonville?

 

1. Where is the zero mile marker in Saint Augustine? I also read that it was

moved twice! Since it represents the eastern terminus of the OST where was it

originally placed?

 

2. Does anyone have any idea of the routing between St. Augustine other than US

1? I am looking for the old or original alignments.

 

Thanks for any help,

 

ypsi-slim

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

I am taking a winter roadtrip and have a question about the eastern terminus of

the Old Spanish Trail highway. I know that it generally follows old US 90 west out

of Jacksonville, but what about the segment between Saint Augustine and

Jacksonville?

 

1. Where is the zero mile marker in Saint Augustine? I also read that it was

moved twice! Since it represents the eastern terminus of the OST where was it

originally placed?

 

2. Does anyone have any idea of the routing between St. Augustine other than US

1? I am looking for the old or original alignments.

 

Thanks for any help,

 

ypsi-slim

 

 

ypsi,

 

Here is a good starting point.

 

http://www.drivetheost.com/florida.html

 

I also looked at a 1921 ABB, but the OST wasn't designated as such in in Florida at that time, or the Automobile Blue Book folks ignored it. My guess is it was designated after 1921. I have some other resources including Auto trail Maps and other ABB's, but lets see how well the website works before I dive into the stack!

 

If I can help, let me know. Happy to do it!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

ypsi,

 

Here is a good starting point.

 

http://www.drivetheost.com/florida.html

 

I also looked at a 1921 ABB, but the OST wasn't designated as such in in Florida at that time, or the Automobile Blue Book folks ignored it. My guess is it was designated after 1921. I have some other resources including Auto trail Maps and other ABB's, but lets see how well the website works before I dive into the stack!

 

If I can help, let me know. Happy to do it!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Ypsi,

 

The route shown on the strip map on the above site is evidently post 1926 (US markers). The 1921 route is approximately the same, but appears to be without the loop to the west. I can give you the 1921 directions, but they are probably technically for the pre OST routing (assumimg that the route wasn't designated until the later part of the 20's). Do you want the 1921 directions?

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

[Alex Burr - hester_nec]

I have a 1926 road map (goes along with the 1926 ABB I have) which shows the route from St. Augustine to Jacksonville as part of the Dixie Highway. From Jax west it's the Old Spanish Trail.

 

Directions in the 1926 ABB are as follows:

(Daytona Beach to Jacksonville), St. Augustine (Mile 68.7) - St. Augustine, King and Bay Streets before bridge > Left on Bay Street > 4-Cor. at old city gates; right with trolley on San Marco Ave. > (Mile 90.5) Bayard, 4 cor, Left across rr > (Mile 107.9) 4-cor at bank; left on St. Johns Ave. > (Mile 108.2) Right hand street; right across toll bridge over St. Johns River > (Mile 109.1) Forsyte Street, at cross-trolley; right > (Mile 109.6) Jacksonville, Forsyth and Main Streets.

 

Jacksonville to Lake City, Madison, Monticello and Tallahassee (the Old Spanish Trail is shown joining the Florida Short Route from Lake City to Tallahassee).

Leaving Jacksonville > Pavement and sand-clay. A section of the Old Spanish Trail and Dixie Highway. Follows State Highway No. 1. > OST starts at Main and Forsyth Streets > north on Main Street 1 block > (Mile 0.1) Adams Street, left > (Mile 1.1) Myrtle Avenue at end of pavement, right > (Mile 1.4) Enterprise Avenue at trolley, left > and on to Tallahassee and points west.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

[ypsi-slim]

I have a 1926 road map (goes along with the 1926 ABB I have) which shows the route from St. Augustine to Jacksonville as part of the Dixie Highway. From Jax west it's the Old Spanish Trail.

 

Directions in the 1926 ABB are as follows:

(Daytona Beach to Jacksonville), St. Augustine (Mile 68.7) - St. Augustine, King and Bay Streets before bridge > Left on Bay Street > 4-Cor. at old city gates; right with trolley on San Marco Ave. > (Mile 90.5) Bayard, 4 cor, Left across rr > (Mile 107.9) 4-cor at bank; left on St. Johns Ave. > (Mile 108.2) Right hand street; right across toll bridge over St. Johns River > (Mile 109.1) Forsyte Street, at cross-trolley; right > (Mile 109.6) Jacksonville, Forsyth and Main Streets.

 

Jacksonville to Lake City, Madison, Monticello and Tallahassee (the Old Spanish Trail is shown joining the Florida Short Route from Lake City to Tallahassee).

Leaving Jacksonville > Pavement and sand-clay. A section of the Old Spanish Trail and Dixie Highway. Follows State Highway No. 1. > OST starts at Main and Forsyth Streets > north on Main Street 1 block > (Mile 0.1) Adams Street, left > (Mile 1.1) Myrtle Avenue at end of pavement, right > (Mile 1.4) Enterprise Avenue at trolley, left > and on to Tallahassee and points west.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

 

 

Thanks Guys.

 

I have all the OST information that is on line. The highway started in 1915 but most of the Association pubs were on, or after, 1926 and did not include any specific driving instructions. Also - I cannot find any of my SE ABBs - if you saw my house you would know why. Apparently the OST and Dixie ran together from St. Augustine to Jacksonville, and this would just be what is now US 1, and I am not aware of any old alignments in this section.

 

I got out some of my Midwest volumes of the Scarborough Automobile Guide (Green Books). These all have a special Dixie Highway supplement, and show the route between Jacksonville and Tallahassee as the Dixie Highway too.

 

Guess I will just have to call someone in St. Augustine to see if I can figure out the original location of the zero mile monument. This time-line of the OST indicates that the zero mile monument was dedicated in April 1929:

OST History

 

Alex - thanks for the ABB instructions. I will compare these with the Green Book instructions.

 

Headin' south next Monday.

 

Tuckerly (I wish)

 

ypsi-slim

 

[ypsi-slim]

I forgot that there is an old alignment of the Dixie Highway north of Bayard following Old St. Augustine Road into Jacksonville.

 

ypsi-slim

 

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Ypsi,

 

Here are the 1913 directions:

 

 

We start at King and San Marcos where we find the Alcazar Hotel (now the Lighter Museum). So San Marcos in 1913 was probably today’s Cordova St or St George. We drive east and pass a park and monument (I’d bet a dime this is where the zero mile marker was). We follow the trolley to Bay street (probably today’s A1A) We turn left. We turned left at .2 miles past the Alcazar, so A1A fits.

 

We travel north on A1A and pass the fort and oldest house, then the road turns left then right (as it does today). You might note that there is a path or roadbed just east of the modern road on the fort grounds, visible in Google earth. Probably nothing, but an interesting location to consider as a possible old roadbed.

 

At Gun Club Road (north end of the airport) I’d turn right and then left (north) on Capo Island Rd. Capo Island looks like it may be the old alignment, as it connects end to end with the Old Dixie Highway, and would require a Y at 7.2 miles .

 

Using Google Earth Street level view, Capo Island Rd appears to be old, and may be concrete. In fact it appears to be concrete with only a center expansion joint, but I can’t believe that vintage style is so uncracked, so I must be imagining things. I’m certain I would take a look if I were nearby!

 

Assuming that Old Dixie Highway north of the north end of Capo Island Rd is an old alignment (and it sure looks like one!)) then the section between the two ends probably contains some old, and perhaps original roadbed, but is probably on private property. Again if I were there I’d drive to the south end of the Old Dixie Highway and look beyond the fense. The Google Earth Street level shows a very intriguing roadbed, maybe even shell.

 

I don’t have the time right now to speculate much more, but if I get some time over the weekend, maybe I can do some more guessing.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!