FM 691/ Former War Highway 12 in Grayson County, Texas

[Brian556]

I came across this when doing research for my Grayson County Highway History Map. The TxDOT Highway Designation File for FM 691 says it is former "War Highway 12". FM 691 leads to North Texas Regional Airport; which was formerly Grayson County Airport, which was formerly Perrin Air Force Base, which was formerly Camp Perrin.

Link to FM 691 Highway Designation File:
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm0500/fm0691.htm

[Road Hog]

Those War Highways are criminally under-researched.

War Highway 5 led to what was Reese AFB.
War Highway 11 was in the area of Fort Bliss.
War Highway 16 led to the former Childress Army Air Field.
War Highway 17 became FM 757 in Smith County.

[Brian556]

Were they signed with route markers? Are there any pictures/graphics of these signs anywhere?

[US81]

This is fascinating! (and I would agree with "criminally under-researched", too.) I hope to learn more.

[mwb1848]

Incredibly fascinating topic. I did a little research on War Highway 11 which one of the previous posters noted was near El Paso. Sure enough, I found War Highway 11 in several old El Paso Herald-Post articles and at least one not-so-oldFort Bliss planning document:



War Highway 11 has been replaced by New Mexico Highway 213 which, when crossing the state line, becomes FM 3255. Folks still refer to the road on both sides of the state line at "War Road." (No mention of 11, though.) Interestingly when I pulled the highway designation file for FM 3255, it was created by a 1971 minute order and lists it as a new designation.

[NE2]

Others:
7: FM 707 to Camp Barkeley
9: FM 683 to Pantex Ordnance Plant
14: FM 700 to Bombardier School
unknown: FM 681 to Mission Army Airfield
unknown: Spur 184 to Childress Army Airfield
unknown: FM 707 to Camp Barkeley
unknown: Spur 325 to Sheppard Field
20: FM 1570 to Majors Air Field

[wtd67]

Were they signed with route markers? Are there any pictures/graphics of these signs anywhere?

Here is a picture of a War Highway 1 sign at Camp Hood/Fort Hood:

https://books.google.com/books?id=_Hc1CwAAQBAJ&pg=PT20&lpg=PT20&dq=%22texas+war+highway%22&source=bl&ots=OAqd1-cdaq&sig=e7VusKrf5vutfagkMSWQ2QCIvYU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwinndTTlL7LAhUEbiYKHd34CpsQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=%22texas%20war%20highway%22&f=false

[wxfree]

Now that the old minute orders are online and searchable, this topic can be researched more easily.  The text is searched by their computers, but is not in a text format in the downloaded files, so you can't use the Find function.  You have to scroll through and find the individual orders in the minutes.  Once you learn the pattern, it isn't that difficult.  It starts with a long list of contracts and work projects and then goes to designations, which is what you're looking for.  If you have the minute order number from the designation file, you can scroll directly to it.

Unfortunately, "War Highway" is not underlined and in all-caps, so it isn't as easy to find.  You just have to look for those words and for fort names to draw your attention.  Fortunately, there server recognizes the exact phrase search using quotation marks.  That cuts it down a lot.

These don't give the numbers, but based on the descriptions you can figure out about where they were.  If state designations still exist, their designation histories might give the numbers.

Frustrating and tedious scanning through obscure documents, along with tracking down references and cross references.  Actually, this just about sounds like my cup of tea.  I've already found a few while researching for this post.  When I find a question I'm usually compelled to look for an answer.  I'll probably have some specifics to add later.

http://publiccm.txdot.gov/minord/mosearch/Pages/Minute-Order-Search-Results.aspx?k=21902#2e9eab17-b5ab-4d75-b777-64aa47c053b1={%22k%22%3A%22\%22war%20highway\%22%22%2C%22o%22%3A[{%22d%22%3A0%2C%22p%22%3A%22RefinableDate00%22}]}

Edit - I can't make the clickable link work.  It goes to a very different results page.  I took out the URL tags, but part of it is clickable automatically.  If you copy and paste the address, that seems to work.

[wxfree]

I've gone through the first four minute orders.  The numbers in parentheses are presumed or apparent numbers.  Numbers not in parentheses are verified.  Unnumbered items are items of interest but not War Highways.  Question marks in parentheses indicate unexpected and apparently incorrect highway numbers.  Notes at the end are verified, apparent, or possible current routes along the old routes.

SH 316 2 miles to army camp closed
(1) US 190 to Fort Hood, apparently SS 172
(2) US 87 to Camp Bullis, possibly FM 3351
(3) SH 6 to Camp Wallace, possibly Blimp Base Road
(4) SH 225, 1.5 miles east of Pasadena, 1.9 miles to Todd Shipbuilding Plant
(5) US 290(?), 9.5 miles west of Lubbock, north 1.1 miles to Lubbock Advanced Flying School, possibly Reese Village/AFB
(6) SH 85, 10 miles north of Eagle Pass, 1 mile to Air Force Training School, possibly airport, old Laughlin AFB Aux No. 1
7 US 83 to Camp Barkeley, FM 707 from US 83 to south of US 277
(8) US 81, 4.5 miles northest of Waco, 1.5 miles to Basic Training School
(8.5) SH 107 from Cantu 7.2 miles west and north to Moore Field, FM 681 to air field
9 SH 136 east to Pan-Tex Plant, then south to US 60, total 6.7 miles, FMs 293 and 683
(10) SH 35 near Jackson-Matagorda CL south 5.3 miles to Well Point on Tres Palacios Bay, for access to Camp Hulen, apparently FM 3280
(11) US 54 9.2 miles to NM SL, access to Fort Bliss
12 US 75 to Camp Perrin in Grayson County, FM (UR) 691
14 US 80 Air Force Training School, Airbase Rd, (original FM 700)
SH 36 in "cantonment area" in Coryell County closed for war
(15) Along Rancier Ave. from Eight St. to Camp Hood in Killeen

[NE2]

I'm going at the minute orders from the beginning, finding all pre-1939 routes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:NE2/TX_minute_orders

I did find the following war highways in the HDF:

5 http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/ss/ss0309.htm
16 http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm/fm0094.htm http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0184.htm
17 http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm0500/fm0757.htm
20 http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm1500/fm1570.htm

[wxfree]

That's awesome.  I'm really glad you're doing that.  I'm putting your link in the topic I started when I first discovered the new web site function.  That post didn't get much attention, but your contribution adds to the topic.

[Pete from Boston]

I'm assuming this is the Second World War.  Was it the state, the War Department, or both that created this?  I had never until now heard of a modern ad hoc system of military highways.

[wxfree]

I'm assuming this is the Second World War.  Was it the state, the War Department, or both that created this?  I had never until now heard of a modern ad hoc system of military highways.

Texas Highway Department did this, "in the furtherance of Highway Department co-operation with the war effort..."

It's probably more instructive to read the order establishing one of the routes.  If you open this file and scroll down to order 19700 on page 11 you can read the first one.
http://publiccm.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003676316.pdf

[wtd67]

I have looked at several of the minute orders for the Contracts of the projects and see a pattern for the prefix of the project ids:
DAWI, roads to Industrial locations
DAWR, roads to Army locations
DANR, roads to Naval locations

Not sure if this 100%, but I am seeing this trend.

In the bids section they will list the Highway Number as M.R. or N.R.  I have yet to see where they assign the Highway Numbers to these roads.