Auto Trail History

[Max Rockatansky]

Something I've been pondering over this past year with some of the blogs on Gribblenation is the early history of Auto Trails and their standing today.  Certainly the big Trans-Continental Auto Trails like the Lincoln Highway and National Old Trails Road were largely an invention of the 1910s and well tracked histories, but what about the lead up to routes of that scale?  Out west one could certainly consider marked trails like the American El Camino Real (which first began to be signed in 1906) to be among the forerunners for routes like the Lincoln Highway/National Old Trails Road. 

For me, I think the early history of the Auto Trails should included any promoted route that would have facilitated even the earliest forms of normalized Automotive Transportation.  To that end really any signed Trail/Route that would have been traveled on prior to the Automotive era would certainly qualify if stuck around long enough be traveled by motorized vehicles regularly.  So to that end what are some other examples out there of Auto Trails in other states or Provinces that saw activity in the earliest times of the Automotive era?

Something else I think is worth considering, when does an Auto Trail go defunct?  Certainly most simply had investors pull out of a Trail Association at the start of the US Route era which seems straight forward.  Others like the Lincoln Highway Association actually stuck around and have continued to place route signage.  So the second question is, what other Auto Trail organizations still actively promote and/or sign their Route today?   

One might even consider some localized touring routes to something of a continuation of the Auto Trail System since they rely on promoters to sign them.  Some local touring routes I can think of that kind of meet said criteria would be; the Fresno County Blossom Trail/Wildflower Trail/Orange Blossom Trail and stuff like 49 Mile Scenic Drive in San Francisco.   

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

You asking about roads that predate the auto trail era or something more local for an auto trail?

[Max Rockatansky]

You asking about roads that predate the auto trail era or something more local for an auto trail?

More or less both.  That said, I'm more interested in signed routes akin to the American El Camino Real which were from the pre-Lincoln Highway/NOTR era that might be considered Auto Trails. 

[Mapmikey]

A big one in the east that may meet your criteria is the National Road from Vandalia Il to Cumberland MD

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

You asking about roads that predate the auto trail era or something more local for an auto trail?

More or less both.  That said, I'm more interested in signed routes akin to the American El Camino Real which were from the pre-Lincoln Highway/NOTR era that might be considered Auto Trails. 

There is 'The King's Highway,' which sort of follows US 1 along the east coast.
In Ohio, we have Silverback's favorite highway, Oh 3, aka 3-C Highway
http://www.lincolnhighwayoh.com/articles/8-articles/20-in-search-of-the-three-c-highway
Also, for Ohio, is a thirty five year old article, I reprinted on roadfan, some years back, concerning 'Honorary Road Names'
http://www.roadfan.com/dispname.html