Exploring and mapping a new Texas frontier

Ozona—The United States government began an intensive program of mapping and discovery of Dry River Country and the western region of Texas beyond the Pecos River after the Mexican War. They were determined to survey its southwestern boundary and determine the potential for safe wagon and mail routes from San Antonio to El Paso, Santa Fe and San Diego. Texas’ vast and dissimilar terrains, multi-faceted geography, topography, its proximity to northern Mexico, and strategic importance on the trade routes to California, made mapping and discovery a significant priority.

The citizens of San Antonio organized the first expedition on Aug. 27, 1848. They commissioned Col. John C. Hays of the Texas Rangers to discover a viable wagon road to El Paso. Included in the detachment supporting Hays were several Delaware Indian scouts, San Antonio businessman and ex-Texas Ranger, Richard S. Howard, 35 Texas Rangers commanded by Captain Samuel Highsmith, and several dozen private citizens and businessmen of San Antonio.

The group departed San Antonio and followed the Llano River to its source on the South Fork. After crossing the Divide, they arrived at Rio San Pedro but spent three days trying to cross the raging river (at a location now under water in the Amistad Reservoir). Subsequently, Hays renamed the tumultuous waterway, the “Devils River,” as it is known today. Much of Texas State Highway 163, from Comstock to Ozona, follows the original route mapped by the Hays Expedition.

“Hays and his Indian guides left San Antonio. They met thirty-five Texas Rangers under the command of Capt. Samuel Highsmith. After a perilous journey during which the guide lost his way and the party nearly starved, they reached Presidio del Norte, a Mexican village at the junction of the Río Conchos and the Rio Grande. They returned to San Antonio after an absence of 107 days. Hays reported that a practical wagon route to Presidio del Norte existed during all seasons of the year.

“In December 1848, the United States secretary of war ordered Maj. Gen. William J. Worth to explore the country along the left bank of the Rio Grande to see if there was a suitable route between San Antonio and Santa Fe. With the report of Hays before him Gen. Worth directed Lt. William H. C. Whiting and Lt. William F. Smith, both Army engineers, to investigate the trail to Presidio del Norte to determine if there was such a practical route between El Paso and the Gulf of Mexico.

“The expedition left San Antonio on Feb. 12, 1849, with Whiting in command of a force of fifteen men. The escort of nine men included experienced woodsmen and hunters well versed in frontier life. Whiting, only twenty-four years old, had no previous frontier or Indian experience. His guide was Richard A. Howard, who had been with Hays on the previous exploration. Leaving Fredericksburg on Feb. 21, they proceeded northwest across the Llano River and then southwest across the Pecos to the Rio Grande.

“On March 24, after a narrow escape from an encounter with Apaches west of the Pecos, they arrived at Fort Leaton, near Presidio del Norte. After resting at Fort Leaton, they resumed their journey on March 29, traveling up the east bank of the Rio Grande to their destination, Ponce's Ranch, opposite El Paso del Norte. They left the ranch on April 19 by a different route and went down the Rio Grande for 120 miles, then turned east to the Pecos, which they followed southeast for sixty miles. They crossed over to the Devils River, then to Las Moras Creek, the Nueces River, and the Rio Seco. They arrived in San Antonio, in two parties, on March 21 and 24.” (Leatherwood – 1996)

Whiting did report on his return that a route could be fashioned into a practical mail and wagon road for military and commercial purposes linking San Antonio and El Paso. The route established by Whiting and Smith was used extensively for years to come. The road was cleared and constructed by workers and engineers during summer of 1849, which later became known as the Lower or Southern Road, and a portion of it followed a part of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company's tracks from San Antonio to El Paso. It was used by the United States military, US Postal Service, Texas cattle drovers, and settlers migrating to points in New Mexico, Arizona, and California.