This Historical Marker Made A Fool Out of Me 

I visited St. Augustine Florida recently. It was founded in 1565 by Spain and is the oldest settlement that was occupied continuously since then. It has a rich and interesting history and as I went to visit the Spanish fort built there, I came across this historical marker. 

It seems to say that this is the this is the spot for the beginning of the Old Spanish Trail. Naturally, being from Utah, my group of friends and I assumed we were standing where the Spanish fathers began their trek across the United States that eventually made its way through Utah. 

Marker showing mile zero of the Spanish Trail
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Most of us in Utah have seen the markers for the Spanish Trail where Escalante and his group came through Spanish Fork Canyon and down into Southern Utah. It is marked with silhouettes of pack mules and Spanish explorers along with historical markers at different sites. 

Here I was standing at mile post zero, or so I thought. I wasn’t. 

Not The Same Trail 

The truth is, Dominquez-Escalante started out in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am slapping my forehead because I knew this. There were other Spanish traders and miners who made their way through Utah as well. These trails are marked throughout the southwest. 

So, what is the marker in St. Augustine talking about? Turns out it was a trail the Spanish used to get from San Diego to central Florida. A highway was built along this route in the 1920s and this marker shows where it ended. They named it the “Old Spanish Trail”.  

Read More: Pure Genius...How They Marked Spanish Trail in Utah

Now you know and you won’t look like a doofus when you visit this coastal city. Maybe one of our service clubs could install an additional plaque explaining the difference between the two trails and save us some embarrassment. 

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Gallery Credit: Angela Underwood

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