LOOK At These Old Spanish Trail Signs to See How Utah Should Mark History

Marking historic sites along the highway can be informative and helps us remember our history, but the sign can be just one more thing blocking the natural scenery. How they marked the Spanish Trail through the west should be a model for how to do it.

Marking A Time When the West Was Part of Spain

There was a trade route used by the Spanish dating back to the 1600’s that linked what is now Santa Fe, New Mexico with Los Angeles California. It is called the Old Spanish Trail, and it meanders through deep canyons, dry deserts and elevated mountains.

The Spanish used pack trains of horses and mules to transfer goods along the trail. Part of the Old Spanish Trail goes through Southern Utah and the Arizona Strip. Those who would preserve this history wanted to make others aware of it.

Get our free mobile app

How do you mark it so tourists can find it and developers don’t destroy it? I think what they came up with is genius. 

Ghostly Silhouettes Still Walk the Old Spanish Trail 

The Old Spanish Trail Association under the direction of Alva Matheson designed these silhouettes to mark the trail. They could have placed information signs by the road, but these show a better way.

Read More: This Tiny Utah Town Went Viral For This Street View

The metal cutouts of pack donkeys and riders are beautiful. These ghostly pack teams silhouetted against the desert are works of art. They capture my imagination and give me a vision of the past, taking me to that time. 

The OSTA worked with Southern Utah University to design and make the silhouettes. There are 18 sites marked with 147 silhouettes so that you can easily find the trail. What an inspired way to mark history. You can read the history even without stopping.

Utah Should Look To This Design To Mark History

This idea should inspire other historic markers. The Pony Express, settlements of the pioneers, even important agricultural sites could be told with an image.

If you live in Southern Utah, it could be fun and educational to explore the trails from the past. And I have to give credit to those who have such passion to remember this history and mark it in such an intriguing way.