Early Roads To San Felipe
historical marker
When Stephen F. Austin founded San Felipe in the mid-1820s, roads were primarily wagon ruts or trails marked by notched trees. Within a decade, this early Anglo settlement became a hub with over eight radiating roads. Major routes included the San Antonio Road, or El Camino Real, and the Atascosita Road, connecting Goliad with the United States. Around 1830, James Gotier established the Gotier Trace, linking parts of Austin's Colony. The San Felipe Road transported goods from the Gulf Coast to Harrisburg. These early thoroughfares were dusty in summer and often impassable quagmires in winter. Texas's modern highway system developed well into the 20th century. This 1969 historical marker commemorates San Felipe's significance as a central point for colonial Texas travel.