National Old Trails Road facts for kids

Quick facts for kids National Old Trails Road
Route information
Existed	1912–present
Major junctions
West end	Los Angeles, California
East end	Baltimore, Maryland
Highway system

National Old Trails Road near Holbrook, Arizona around 1915

The National Old Trails Road, also called the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was a major road in the United States. It was created in 1912 and became part of the National Auto Trail system. This historic road stretched about 3,096 miles (4,983 km) across the country. It connected Baltimore, Maryland, on the East Coast, all the way to California on the West Coast. Many parts of this route followed older, famous paths like the National Road and the Santa Fe Trail.

Building the National Old Trails Road

The idea for the National Old Trails Road came from a group called the National Old Trails Road Association. This group was formed in Kansas City in April 1912. Their main goal was to improve a road that would go all the way across the country. This road would connect Baltimore to Los Angeles, with extra paths to New York City and San Francisco. The name "National Old Trails Road" was chosen because it followed several historic paths. These included the National Road and the Santa Fe Trail.

Leaders of the Association

Judge J. M. Lowe from Jackson County, Missouri, was the first president of the Association. He led the group from its start until he passed away in 1926. Judge Lowe worked very hard to promote better roads. He was a strong supporter of the "Good Roads Movement." This movement wanted the government to help improve roads across the nation.

Harry S. Truman's Role

In 1926, Harry S. Truman became the new president of the National Old Trails Road Association. Truman later became the 33rd President of the United States. As president of the road association, Truman often drove the National Old Trails Road from one coast to the other. He met with members in each state to talk about improving their sections of the road. He enjoyed these trips, but he missed his wife Bess and their daughter Margaret. He wrote many letters to his wife while he was traveling. Truman's name stayed on the association's letterhead as "president" even into the late 1940s.

Madonna of the Trail Monuments

One important thing Truman helped achieve was placing Madonna of the Trail statues. He worked with the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to put these statues in 12 states along the National Old Trails Road. These statues honor the brave pioneer mothers from the days of covered wagons. Each statue is 18 feet (5.5 meters) tall. It shows a 10-foot-tall pioneer mother holding her baby, with her young son clinging to her skirts. The DAR describes the mother's face as strong, beautiful, and gentle. It shows a mother who understands her responsibilities and trusts in God.

Developing the Western Sections

The western part of the National Old Trails Road was signed by the Automobile Club of Southern California in 1914. However, there was a lot of discussion about the exact path until 1917. For example, some early plans suggested the road go through Phoenix, Arizona, and San Diego, California, up to San Francisco, California.

Eventually, a final route was agreed upon. This route often followed old Native American trails, existing railroad tracks, and sometimes new roads were built. Over the years, the road was improved and changed to make it better for travel. By 1926, many parts in the west were still hard to drive on and were not paved. Only about 800 miles (1,287 km) were paved by 1927. Much of the road through the California desert was widened and paved by the late 1920s. Some of this old pavement can still be seen today.

Connection to U.S. Route 66

In 1926, a large part of the National Old Trails Road became part of a new highway system. The section from Las Vegas, New Mexico, to Los Angeles, California, was named U.S. Route 66. This highway later became one of America's most famous roads. A section near St. Louis, Missouri, also became part of U.S. 66.

After U.S. Route 66 was no longer an official highway, some parts of the road in eastern California were given back the old "National Old Trails Road" name. Today, much of what is called "National Trails Highway" follows the later path of U.S. Route 66. It does not always follow the original National Old Trails Road.

Cities Along the Route

Here are some of the main cities along the National Old Trails Road, listed from east to west: